So, Spaulding provides a book for patients and families that gives a little bit of information on what each therapist does and some of the other people that have been working with Megan. This comes directly from the book, so it is actually what Spaulding is telling us about the care Megan is getting. I've been meaning to post this for a while now because it has some helpful information. Hopefully it helps you understand a little bit more what the people working with Megan are responsible for doing.

The main therapists Megan sees:

Occupational Therapist (OT): Megan will work on getting herself ready in the morning, mobility in the kitchen and bathroom and exercises for her arms and hands. Megan specifically works with her right arm and hand to get those muscles moving again. 

Physical Therapist (PT): Megan will work on moving around in her bed and wheelchair, transfers to and from chairs, balance, mobility and exercises for her trunk and legs. Again, they are paying close attention to Megan's right leg.

Speech Therapy: Megan may work on areas including speech, language, memory, problem solving, organization, and/or swallowing. Megan will probably do therapy in all of these categories. She passed her test during speech yesterday, so she is cleared of any eating restriction. The last test was eating salad. She was able to eat it without choking, so they took her off of the Mechanical soft diet. 

Other Team Members

Physiatrist: a physiatrist is a doctor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. They are nerve, bone, muscle, and brain experts. They look at the whole person with the goal of improving function. 

Nurse: the nurse coordinates physical care and provides medical care for Megan. The nurse gives the daily medication, and works with Megan and our family to understand her medical needs. 

Nursing Assistant: The nursing assistant helps with bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, turning and transfers. The Nursing Assistant also takes vital signs (blood pressure, temperature) and shares information with the head Nurse. 

Recreation Therapy: A certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist will assess Megan's leisure lifestyle and develop a therapeutic program incorporating adaptive equipment and modification techniques to assist her in engaging in a healthy leisure lifestyle. this may include using games, personal interests, planning assignments, joining a community re-entry outing, playing cards, using computers, and socializing in groups to help her become more independent in your free time.