Final Entry

Final Entry
The placement proved to be much like I expected but not having completed a gerontology placement previously the depth and complexity of a lot of the cases was well beyond how I expected it to be. The ward contained patients who had reported to the main RPH hospital (often ED) in serious conditions on some occasions but had recovered sufficiently to be considered for discharge to their previous living environment but prior to this they required some rehabilitation to prepare them for this transition.

Despite each patient having been admitted and assessed at least twice it was still vital to view the notes in depth and also answer those questions which still needed answering. Clear development of a problem list and possible issues with treatment was vital and constant reflection upon these factors as the patient’s condition changed (for good or worse) was necessary. It was necessary to know where the patient was ultimately headed and barriers in the way to this. Consultation with doctors, nurses, social workers and OT’s was important to understand the patient’s situation fully.

I enjoyed the exercise prescription and seeing the patient improve over time and modifying the treatment as this happened. I noticed an improvement in most of the patients but one particular patient who was there for almost 4 weeks made me constantly rethink the intervention I was applying. The priority list changed from balance to conditioning to strength to balance and then finally an underlying leg pathology that popped up that nobody was really sure what it was. When I left the placement the patient was still in the same condition that she was admitted in.

Despite this incident the fact that I constantly re-analysed the patient’s status and modified treatment accordingly made me content that I had done all I could. I believe that I will be in a good position if I maintain this approach to placements in future.