"Is that puss floating around in there?" I remember the occasion like it was yesterday.
Have you ever been in the room when a Physical Therapist was doing a Stage 4 sacral wound debridement?
"Pee-yew! Ouch! Disgusting! No, I'm not hungry anymore." Thankfully, it's been at least 15 years since that unforgettable day.
Have you ever been sitting across from a patient, coaching them through a meal, when they suddenly begin coughing and spewing food all over you?
That was the day I learned to sit next to (not across from) my patients during dysphagia treatment sessions. Lucky for me, scrambled eggs brushed right off my scrub top.
Have you ever been in the room when a Physical Therapist was doing a Stage 4 sacral wound debridement?
"Pee-yew! Ouch! Disgusting! No, I'm not hungry anymore." Thankfully, it's been at least 15 years since that unforgettable day.
Have you ever been sitting across from a patient, coaching them through a meal, when they suddenly begin coughing and spewing food all over you?
That was the day I learned to sit next to (not across from) my patients during dysphagia treatment sessions. Lucky for me, scrambled eggs brushed right off my scrub top.
Have you found yourself crouched down on the floor attempting to put your head between your patient's knees so you can read the number on the scale?
That happened to me yesterday...
I have a patient that you may remember from my "Love Notes" blog post that is experiencing an unintentional, yet rapid, weight loss. His long term goal is to maintain an ideal body weight of 140 pounds, however, cancer and it's associated difficulties are resulting in issues that are causing fluctuations in weight. To keep track of things, I weigh the man at each visit.
For weeks, I put the scale in front of the patient, he steps on and I crouch down to read the upside down number. On this particular day, I actually couldn't believe my eyes...115 pounds? No way! He weighed 120 just a few days ago at the beginning of the week. I better look again. I moved in for a closer look and noticed he was practically sitting on my head. That's when I realized, number one, this is not safe for either one of us and, number two, there has got to be a better way of doing this. I moved back and he stepped off of the scale.
I offer a photo reenactment for your amusement. Thanks to my sons Mike and Coby for their special assistance.
He sensed my struggle and reached down, turned the scale around and declared, "It might be easier for you to read if it is facing you." Well, what do you know...he was exactly right! I laughed and laughed and asked him, "Why didn't I think of that?"
I immediately reached for my camera, thinking, other people must see this brilliant way of doing things! As I snapped the picture, I had another idea: I can take a picture of his weight with each visit. Because photos on my camera are date stamped, I am able to create a photo reference log.
Then another great idea: with the zoom, finger spread thingy that you can do, I don't even have to get on the floor any more, I can just point and shoot then enlarge to read the numbers nice and clear!
As silly as this story might be, one thing is for sure, I will never look at a scale the same way again. So, this week, as you go about your work day, look for small changes that can make big differences in perspective. Ask yourself, what can I do to make this easier, safer or more accurate? Good luck and have fun!
"Necessity is the mother of all invention. " Plato
That happened to me yesterday...
I have a patient that you may remember from my "Love Notes" blog post that is experiencing an unintentional, yet rapid, weight loss. His long term goal is to maintain an ideal body weight of 140 pounds, however, cancer and it's associated difficulties are resulting in issues that are causing fluctuations in weight. To keep track of things, I weigh the man at each visit.
For weeks, I put the scale in front of the patient, he steps on and I crouch down to read the upside down number. On this particular day, I actually couldn't believe my eyes...115 pounds? No way! He weighed 120 just a few days ago at the beginning of the week. I better look again. I moved in for a closer look and noticed he was practically sitting on my head. That's when I realized, number one, this is not safe for either one of us and, number two, there has got to be a better way of doing this. I moved back and he stepped off of the scale.
I offer a photo reenactment for your amusement. Thanks to my sons Mike and Coby for their special assistance.
He sensed my struggle and reached down, turned the scale around and declared, "It might be easier for you to read if it is facing you." Well, what do you know...he was exactly right! I laughed and laughed and asked him, "Why didn't I think of that?"
I immediately reached for my camera, thinking, other people must see this brilliant way of doing things! As I snapped the picture, I had another idea: I can take a picture of his weight with each visit. Because photos on my camera are date stamped, I am able to create a photo reference log.
Then another great idea: with the zoom, finger spread thingy that you can do, I don't even have to get on the floor any more, I can just point and shoot then enlarge to read the numbers nice and clear!
As silly as this story might be, one thing is for sure, I will never look at a scale the same way again. So, this week, as you go about your work day, look for small changes that can make big differences in perspective. Ask yourself, what can I do to make this easier, safer or more accurate? Good luck and have fun!
"Necessity is the mother of all invention. " Plato
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