Physical Therapy Assessment
Yesterday, Mom took Lyn for the assessment with the physical therapist who will be working to strengthen her quads as a result of the recent doctor's appointment. The assessment went well and Lyn was very cooperative.
The therapist is a man which, I assure you, delighted Lyn. He asked her to stand up from a chair about five times while she held her arms crossed across her chest. He had her walk up and down a hall so he could observe her gait. He asked her to lift one leg at a time and keep her leg up as he pushed against it. She worked hard for him but he noted her very wide stance, her unsteady gait and the other symptoms her doctor had described in her notes. He has worked with Alzheimer's patients before and was very sensitive towards and patient with Lyn.
Towards Mom, he was realistic and pragmatic. He asked that Lyn bring in her walking stick. (Lyn hates the word "cane" which is why it's called her walking stick.) He thinks it may be time for that to become a constant assist and not just when we're out walking amid the ruins. He was very glad to hear that Mom didn't think it was time for a four-point walker. They're in agreement that time is coming but they're trying to hold it off as long as possible.
While Lyn's doctor prescribed four weeks of sessions, the therapist requested eight weeks. He indicated that four weeks would most likely be insufficient to really see any change. However, if there's not improvement by eight weeks, the reality is that there won't be improvement. He stressed that the work they do for the next eight weeks may be effective but there are no promises and Lyn may be no better off in the end.
He has outlined some exercises he wants Lyn to do between their visits. Lyn has committed to doing them. Mom and I got a good laugh over her eagerness to please him. If the therapist had been a woman, Lyn would have been less cooperative.
The therapist is a man which, I assure you, delighted Lyn. He asked her to stand up from a chair about five times while she held her arms crossed across her chest. He had her walk up and down a hall so he could observe her gait. He asked her to lift one leg at a time and keep her leg up as he pushed against it. She worked hard for him but he noted her very wide stance, her unsteady gait and the other symptoms her doctor had described in her notes. He has worked with Alzheimer's patients before and was very sensitive towards and patient with Lyn.
Towards Mom, he was realistic and pragmatic. He asked that Lyn bring in her walking stick. (Lyn hates the word "cane" which is why it's called her walking stick.) He thinks it may be time for that to become a constant assist and not just when we're out walking amid the ruins. He was very glad to hear that Mom didn't think it was time for a four-point walker. They're in agreement that time is coming but they're trying to hold it off as long as possible.
While Lyn's doctor prescribed four weeks of sessions, the therapist requested eight weeks. He indicated that four weeks would most likely be insufficient to really see any change. However, if there's not improvement by eight weeks, the reality is that there won't be improvement. He stressed that the work they do for the next eight weeks may be effective but there are no promises and Lyn may be no better off in the end.
He has outlined some exercises he wants Lyn to do between their visits. Lyn has committed to doing them. Mom and I got a good laugh over her eagerness to please him. If the therapist had been a woman, Lyn would have been less cooperative.
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