My Rehab ...My Insights. My Learnings…
My Rehab ...My Insights. My Learnings…
Fellow time travelers and thrill seekers. as many are aware I have had the privilege of addressing various groups including for 5 consecutive years Final Year Physio students about my rehab journey following my Left Lacunar Stroke in April 2016.
I also have taken these wonderful opportunities to talk about my insights and learnings which I gained during this 4-month period.
As a result of my corporate life in organizational development, workplace culture and change management I was able to layer these over the experiences during my tenure in the Stroke Unit at Bankstown Hospital.
The reception that I have been accorded during my talks has been excellent so I thought I would take the opportunity to share them to a wider audience.
They maybe be “motherhood “to some people but here goes anyway! –
- Build Rapport with your patient- before you can start the rehab process, your patient must trust and respect you and your curative skills. Rapport between parties is essential in any transfer of knowledge or information. Spend 5 minutes talking to them about their family, their life, hobbies.
- Involve the family in the Rehab process -the family is a particularly important, powerful stakeholder in the rehab process. They are your “eyes and ears’ when you are not there. They can be motivators for the patient to undertake rehab- mine were!
- Communicate on their level – Do not speak to your patient as if they are a 6-year-old or at the other end a senile old person. It is demeaning, condescending, and patronizing.
- Tell them WHAT to do and WHY-Do not just ask, but explain what you want them to do, the benefits and how it fits into their rehab objectives.
- Celebrate their achievements- when they achieve a goal, celebrate! Make a big deal about it-give them a Gold Star! It works! It did with me!
- Respect their space- remember to ask before your come near them; to lift their damaged arm or leg.
- Be aware of the role of Non-Verbal Communications- More important in some instances than what you are saying! See my blog below.
- Treat them as People and not Patients!
Thank you for stopping by! Happy Trails, Boys and Girls