Patients | Families | HCS | |
---|---|---|---|
Counteracting a declining physical function | Exercise with patient for retained walking ability and ability to get up. | Conversation with patient and family about what daily life is like and what could make things easier for them. | Educate HCS regarding placement of assistive devices and the importance of allowing the patient to participate. |
Informing, guiding and educating | Give tips about posture and resting positions when sitting/lying. | The patient’s family members also participate and discuss safety/security during mobilization. | Educate staff at the residence about ALS, along with nurse and dietitian, followed by a question and answer session regarding the patient’s symptoms. |
Observing, assessing and evaluating | Observe how the patient manages transfers, patterns of movement and balance when she comes into the room where I am waiting. | Family members visit and we discuss how things are going in the home. | Together with ward staff, see how things are going with transfers for newly admitted patient. |
Attending to signs and symptoms | Introduce breathing exercises – using the PEP valve for more efficient breathing when the patient uses shallow and high costal breathing. | Show daughter lymphatic drainage to relieve pain. | – |
Listening, talking with and understanding | Speak about the pressure the patient previously felt from relatives about exercise. | Meet a family member of a patient who is sad. We hug and she says that her mother is dead. Provide comfort and support. | One of our patients has died and we talk about this. |
Caring for basic needs | The patient falls asleep during treatment and wants to remain in bed afterwards, I help her get comfortably straightened out and leave the window slightly open before I go. | Help relative with kitchen chores because he is having difficulty with transfers. | – |
Organizing, planning and coordinating | Home visit together with patient for the purpose of increasing quality of life and preparing for returning home and discharge to ASIH. | Phone call with family makes me schedule a home visit together with the assistive technology consultant. | Contact nurse regarding family’s questions about samples and blood transfusion. |