Whilst on my rural prac, part of my duties involved treating patients in an outpatient clinic. One of these patients was a 45yo male who had fallen and shattered his head of humerous and as such had needed a reverse shoulder replacement. He had been referred to physiotherapy for increase in ROM and strength. As the patient was unable to drive himself to treatment his wife brought him, and sat in on the sessions. This was my first experience treating a patient with a family member watching. While most of the treatment consisted of A/AROM excercises and massage/passive lengthening of overactive, I did feel a little self conscious having someone else watching the session. The patients wife was very involved in his recovery and would watch what I was doing intently and try to copy when she went home.
Ultimately this was a positive situation, with the patient being very dilligent with his exercises and having great support from his wife. It was however difficult to feel comfortable having someone looking over your shoulder. As treatments progressed I tried to involve the patient's wife as much as I could, by explaining aspects of treatment that she could do herself at home, even adapting my treatments so they could be done at home more. While no real issues occurred with this patient I found it to be an experience that I had to adapt to and will hopefully prepare me for other patients who have a very involved family.
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2 comments:
That was a "humerous" blog. hehe
I've had similar situations when there's family member within a treatment session. The wife also got really involved with the treatments trying to look at what i was doing and copying. But it's important to educate them that some of the technique are physio specific and shouldn't be done at home. Just give her simple technique like massage.
Also found that it was important to continue rationalising as you treat, otherwise the family member could potentially ask lots of questions and disrupt your treatment, because all you do is answering bloody questions!
heya cassy!
Yea i totally agree with you it can get pretty intense watching someone other than your patitnt watch you intently when treating your patient! But I recgon the thing to keep in mind is that we do probably know more than them and just have to keep a cool head and be able to "rationalise" why we are doing what we are doing!
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