Many seniors receive therapy at home for various physical, occupational, speech or cognitive issues. Are they ever “done”? How much is “enough”?
The answer to this question clearly varies from person-to-person, but the simplest answer comes from the recipient. If the therapy recipient is not convinced that they are ready to move on without further help, chances are they are not. It is incumbent on the therapist in this situation to advocate on behalf of the patient to continue their therapies at home.
Most therapists have a discharge threshold and standard, but their idea of how a client is doing may differ from what the client, their family or their caregiver would like to see. This may be based on what their level of functioning was previously. When you are responsible for someone who is in therapy, it is critical to be mindful of this context and, when appropriate, be willing to be and advocate for the individual in question.
Caregivers have the privilege of seeing those for whom they care on a regular basis. These caregivers may know details of the patient that the occasional therapist does not. It is the duty of the caregiver to always be advocating for our those in our charge whether to outside providers or even for the patient him or herself. Sometime the process is one of reminding the patient of their own goals and helping him or her reach them. The goal is always to support and encourage those for whom we care to reach for the level of functionality that they desire to achieve and be always ready to help them!
