Inside Nursing Homes & Rehab
Centers - Physical Therapists I Have Known
By Melinda
Thomas 
Surprise! I am writing this article to tell you
some good things concerning nursing homes. Since my associates and
I have had the opportunity to visit numerous nursing homes and rehab
centers and also numerous hospitals and numerous other medical centers
and sections, I can give you a bird's eye view of something that
is very important.
I am writing about the physical and occupational therapists -- who
are working inside of nursing homes, hospitals and rehabilitation
and care centers. This is probably one of the good things that can
happen to someone inside of a nursing home IF they are able to access
these treatments/training and exercise sessions. Once residents were
allowed to actually go to the physical therapy room, and once they
actually got their scheduled time with the therapists, the therapists
worked hard and long hours to help the residents get independent.
Even in the very worst rehab center, the attitude and professionalism
of the physical therapists and occupational therapists was never
in question. The ones that I saw working with patients were doing
their jobs and earning their pay, each and every day. I observed
therapists working hard to help residents be successful in therapy.
Most of them were polite, professional and hard-working EVEN in the
most horrible rehab center. I have to say that and give them credit.
These people were there to do a job and they did it. So the problems
are not with that particular department inside of nursing homes.
I witnessed therapists helping patients using wheelchairs, walkers,
and all sorts of mild sports equipment. They walked behind patients
who were re-learning to use the walkers for the first time. Patient
worked on all sorts of interesting rehab equipment.
So, ONCE the residents actually arrived,they could get good therapy
once it was there turn. Problem is the waiting. And the waiting is
not the therapist's fault, but it is the fault of administration
and owners who do not properly supply the therapy equipment needed.
So patients would need to take turns on various equipment and it
the equipment was not ready, then patients would use other equipment.
Difference between good and bad centers:
In the bad centers, they had less than adequate equipment. And the
ones they did have , they did not have enough of. In the good centers,
there was great equipment and there was adequate equipment, so patients
are not waiting their lives away for therapy.
In the bad centers, patients were told to line up at the elevators
upstairs and wait until staff came to get them. THe process was slow,
and painful. These residents were waiting their lives away. In the
good centers, patients had very short waits if any.
IN ALL the centers, both good and bad:
Most of the physical therapists have not been damaged by the bad
medical centers but if they stay there long enough (in the bad places),
they will eventually have their reputations ruined. In some of the
places, it seems that the physical therapists are the only really
caring and concerned workers who are not goofing off. Most of the
physical therapists that I spoke with or saw working with patients
were giving excellent care. These workers are educated, informed
individuals who seem to have a genuine concern for the patients that
they work with. As they work, they see improvements day by day and
that makes their work more rewarding.
Once I saw a person who began working in one of the better nursing
homes progress from not being able to walk two inches to being able
to walk for about twenty feet. So there is hope, progress and a good
reason to attend physical therapy sessions at these places if you
are stuck there as a patient. If you are thinking of going into the
physical therapy occupation, you might want to investigate it more
thoroughly, and get all the information you can get about schools
in your location.
