CWEX+Placement+2014

=Providence Place (October 20th- December 17th)=

This year in our CWEX class I had my placement at Providence Place. Providence Place is a quality long-term care, geriatric assessment and day program facility with our focus on elder care. Their goal is to help elderly and at-risk clients to avoid reliance on acute care, and to avoid premature admission to a long-term care facility. They offer a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, short-term medical and treatment program that results in more than 70% of their clients being able to return to their own homes following an average 30-day stay on the unit.

Throughout my placement I was shadowing a physiotherapist by the name of Jolene Wilson. Jolene was a great teacher and she helped me learn a lot of new things about physiotherapy. Jolene gave me the advantage of letting me work independent with clients. I have met many clients and it was a privilege to work with them. With my opportunity to work with clients independently I had to learn how to properly teach the exercises so that I could safely get my clients to participate in them. I had the chance to work with many different types of people. I have worked with people who have MS (Multiple Sclerosis), people who have had strokes and heart attacks, people who have had brain surgeries, people who have Alzheimer's, and many other types of people.

While working at Providence Place I had the chance to do the following things;

Assessments- this was an opportunity that I really appreciated. During an assessment the physiotherapist tests the clients entire body to figure out what kind strength the client has. Knowing the strength of the client is very important. The physiotherapists also check the clients affected area to see how they react to certain exercises and making sure that they can tolerate the pain or discomfort that might come with the completion of the exercises. During the assessments there are also a few quick balance exercises so that the physiotherapists will know to whether they need to use a safety strap with the client or not.

Exercises- I had the chance to work with clients and to help them complete their personal exercise plan. Every client has a specific plan tailored towards their capabilities, strengths and where they are looking to improve their body. Some exercises that I did with clients were walking with them whether they were walking with a cane or with a walker. I would help them do they seated and standing exercises such as marching, leg kicks out to the side, behind, or forward. I would play catch with the clients and set up a bean bag course to work their flexibility and balance.

Pool- I had the opportunity to go swimming with the elderly clients. Every Thursday from 10-11