SETTING
Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit
PARTNER
You are the partner of a 26-year-old inpatient who was recently diagnosed with T4 Spinal Cord Injury due to a sports injury. The patient was referred to physiotherapy for early rehabilitation treatment. You have asked to meet with the physiotherapist today since you have a lot of questions and anxiety about the future.
SETTING
Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit
THERAPIST
You are meeting the partner of a 26-year-old inpatient recently diagnosed with a T4 Spinal Cord Injury resulting from a sports injury. The patient has been referred to physiotherapy for early rehabilitation. This is your first session with the patient, and the partner has requested to meet with you beforehand. The partner appears anxious.
TASK
- Find out how the patient has been coping with the diagnosis and what he/she knows about it (e.g., what happened, implications, aftermath, etc.).
- Evaluate the general well-being of the patient through the observations of the partner (e.g., cognition, functionality, etc.).
- Explain the bodily changes associated with Spinal Cord Injury (e.g., mobility, independence, fertility, marital, etc.).
- Introduce couple counseling to deal with the recent changes in their relationship.
- Highlight the rehabilitation goals and how the partner can participate in the process (e.g., changes in position, environment modification, exercises, etc.). Discuss the flow of the treatment plan (e.g., initial exercises, progressions, transition to outpatient, etc.).
