Change the Dynamic

I work in the world of rehabilitation as an Occupational Therapist. I have worked in this field for ten years in several different nursing homes. I have seen staff, co-workers, and residents come and go. I can usually remember the faces but the names escape me. There is a weird dynamic in most nursing homes between therapy and nursing. We are working with the same patients but we come from different worlds. We use different terminology to describe the same thing. You would think by now we would have figured this out.

Nursing uses words like limited assist, extensive assist and total assist to describe how much help a resident needs to transfer, bathe, toilet and dress. Therapy uses words like minimum assist, moderate assist and maximum assist to describe the exact same thing. Nursing staff strive to make sure each person is safe, clean and dressed. The therapist is working towards having the same person be as independent as possible; prepared to return to their prior level of function.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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Improve Key Relationships

In a recent post, I talked about health as a puzzle with 8 pieces. Today’s post is all about “Positive Relationships” as one piece of the overall puzzle. Through my work as an Occupational Therapist, I have seen how having positive relationships in one’s life can improve health outcomes for my patients. When in a Rehab setting, patients are surrounded by people but it can still be an isolating experience. Those who receive phone calls and visits by loved ones have a big advantage over patients who have no support. Having someone to run errands, bring home-cooked meals, listen to concerns is incredibly important. Positive relationships are a two-way street and they don’t get built over night!

Positive Relationships are a two way street…
Image by 12019 on Pixabay

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Blah, Blah, Blah

Do you ever get the sense that blah, blah, blah is what people hear when you are speaking?

Do you try really hard to listen to your co-worker, your boss, your friend and your honey but they might as well be saying blah, blah, blah? Continue reading “Blah, Blah, Blah”