Hi all,
One of my patients that I find very inspiring is a young guy struck down with Guillain Barre disease 18 months ago. My supervisor really wanted me during my 4 weeks to push ahead with strengthening and balance work. So most of my treatment has taken part outside, in the hydro pool, and at the large facility gym. During a gym session the other day whilst on the leg press machine, he praised the way that I was speaking with him. Curiously, I asked him what he was talking about. He said that during his experience on the wards many of the hospital staff (including PTs) spoke to him like he was a stupid or could not understand English well. At that very moment he told me just to stop and listen to the other staff members speaking with their patients in the gym. Unfortunately, I recognized at once what he was taliking about. Some of the staff were shouting at their patients or using very simple patronising language. Although he never said it, I could tell that this was something that had affected him deeply over his lengthy treatment.
Granted there may some type of neuro patients that need this type of communication but on the whole I think it is very important to talk to them like you would to any other 'normal' person in the community. I think it is very easy to get into a rut and start using this condescending type of language with all your patients, especially if you think they are not getting what you are saying. I think it is important to be clear with your directions but also not sound patronising at the same time. This experience will certainely made me aware of my future communication with my neuro patients. It was great to get the patient perspective and find that this is a very important aspect of any successful PT session. It would be great to find out what the crew thinks about this.
Have a good weekend!
Cheers
Nico
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Great experience to bring up this week Nico. I definitely think that treating our patients as individuals makes the utmost difference in whether our interventions are effective or if we’re hitting a brick wall. I think that by maybe trying to put oneself in the patient’s position will help us understand how that patient wants to be treated. Obviously it’s tough to truly understand our patients’ emotions but most individuals would like to be treated with respect. We can show our respect by the way in which we talk to that individual and how we handle the limbs that they’re unable to move themselves. This means that we are regularly asking our patients if they have concerns or questions regarding their time during and outside of treatment sessions. As therapists we have a responsibility to our patient first and foremost, and to fulfill that responsibility effectively requires that the patient feels respected as an individual and that they’re not just another patient.
Gareth
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