Hey everyone,
I wanted to talk about a thought provoking conversation that I had with someone a couple days ago. I was on my placement in the area of community physiotherapy and i was chatting to one of the clients.
The client is 70 yrs old and has been attending the pulmonary rehab class for 4 years. He has a diagnosis of COPD and asymptomatic IHD. The objectives of the class are to improve the clients cardiovascular endurance, balance, strength and functional independence. The class starts by getting the clients to go for a 20 minute walk by doing laps of the building.
Anyway, i was walking with this client and i asked him what he used to work as. He said he did lots of different jobs and finds it quite boring at home now that he's retired. I felt a bit sorry for the client because he missed working and didnt seem to have a lot going on at the moment.
It really got me thinking, because as much as this year has been a struggle, at least we've had something to do. I think it would be worse to be stuck at home doing nothing, even though we may not have enjoyed some of the placements we've been on.
What does everyone else think, has anyone had a similar experience with a client/patient? I really hope this client finds a passion/hobby so he isnt bored and can enjoy his life. Also i think i might be a bit more grateful in the future to have something to do rather just complain adn take things for granted.
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2 comments:
Wow Kevin,
Judging by the number of blogs you've managed to squeeze out of your community physiotherapy placement, it must have been an extremely valuable experience! I've come across a few of these patients and it is really sad to see. If you take a hollistic approach to treating patients you realise that their emotional/ psychosocial status can have a huge impact on their physical status. It's really great that you've highlighted this point, and it's good to see that the patient is at least involved in a community class, which not only helps with his physical health but also provides a social outlet for him to interact with others.
Hey Kev, I kind of know the feeling that you described. My dad had a stroke about 6 years ago now. He was assessed to be ‘totally permanently incapacitated’ and deemed unable to continue work as a manager of big corporation. Therefore most of the time he is at home by himself as my mum and I work and my brother has moved to Sydney. He is busy at times with various things, however, does not have any major hobbies. I feel as though he would greatly benefit by getting out of the house and participating in a hobby, or interacting with other people. It is rather lonely and boring being at home by yourself for most of the day with no real interaction with other people, or things to keep you busy. I have tried to help him with this and he acknowledges this, yet does little to try to change his situation. It is a depressing and unfortunate situation to be in.
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