On one of my previous placements I had treated a lady who had just undergone a TKR. She had been transferred from the acute Ortho ward to rehab, was ambulating reasonably well and undertaking regular physio without too many complaints. However one morning I went to treat her and found her in tears. She explained to me that it was coming up to the anniversary of her husband’s death, she was far away from home (she was from the South-West) and her daughter was overseas on holiday and she missed her terribly. She also told me that she felt she had been bullied by the physio on the previous ward, because on one occasion she had asked to have her treatment postponed and he said she had refused it altogether.
Instead of focussing on the issue regarding the physio, I decided to talk to her about her family. I consoled her and reassured her that it was alright to feel upset, and that even though I would give her a bit of a push with her physio treatment, I would not make her do anything I didn’t think she was capable of. From then on she was a happy, compliant patient who achieved her knee ranges and mobility within a couple for days.
I’ve found that many patients feel as though their concerns or issues are not listened to, and that they may feel a bit scared about being in hospital. By taking a gentler approach with these patients, they can become more compliant and easier to deal with.
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3 comments:
so true! I think sometimes we get a bit carried away in the theory, rehab, exercises, advice etc etc but I've also realised how far you can get with a patient by just listening...it shows that you actually care and they trust you more.
Good Approach! We have goals and objectives for our patients which should be tackled equally by them . They must be up to performing every time we see them. They may need re-focusing from time-to-time or as you found just some counselling. Sometimes people just have something else on their mind which may take precedence. Listen to them and it may help them get back on track more effectively when they are ready.
I have many patients like that too. Some older patients have a very bad connotation of what physiotherapists do, I was often called the torturer. I think you approached this situation very well, and hopefully changed her perspective of physiotherapy.
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