Real-Life Communication
Physical therapist assistants work with different people. This usually
varies with where they work. Of course, those PTAs employed by a long-term
care facility will mostly treat older patients who suffer from things like
strokes and Parkinson's disease.
If a PTA is employed in private practice
or in an outpatient facility, the patients they deal with commonly have neck
and back injuries, or sometimes hip, foot, elbow or knee problems. There are
also sports rehab facilities that treat athletes.
In each of these
settings, a PTA will be exposed to a different type of patient. For example,
says PTA Teresa Gilley, in the long-term care facility that she worked in,
she had to live with this fact: "The tough thing about working with older
people is that although you might be able to help them, that doesn't mean
they'll get well and it doesn't mean that they'll get to go home."
So
athletes are easier to deal with, right? Hardly, says Nick Cioloti, a PTA
in New York. "The athlete wants to return to competition and becomes frustrated
with limitations," says Cioloti.
As a PTA, you are treating one of
these difficult athletes. Not only is professional volleyball player Michelle
Jordan frustrated and impatient with her knee injury, but her teammates and
her coach need her back in the game.
Jordan's parents, on the other
hand, are more concerned with their daughter's pain and depression. The family
has called PT Jane Bone several times. The family is also upset because Jordan's
coach keeps calling them, wanting to know if Jordan will be able to compete
in the national tournament in six months.
Bone is able to tell the
family the basics of what their daughter might be going through, but Bone
also tells the family that her PTA will write a letter to the family. They
can pass it on to the team if they wish.
Here are some facts to include
in your letter:
- Michelle needs plenty of rest
- She must resist the pressure to get back in the game before her knee is
fully healed
- You can expect her to be depressed and angry about her lack of mobility,
but there are three ways of coping with it:
- Think positive
- Understand what she's going through
- Let her stay involved with her team
- Other techniques for Michelle are:
- Keep a journal of her progress in rehab
- Learn to relax
- Visualize healing
Based on this information, write your letter.