How would you work differently with an older patient?

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As a Physical Therapist, you have to adjust your style of therapy quite often. Working with older patients require a softer approach than a man in his 30's in good health. Tell the interviewer about a time you successfully rehabilitated an older patient. What steps did you take and how did you adjust your regular style of treatment?

"Through my training and internship as a Physical Therapist, I had the chance to work with a few older patients that were rehabbing from injuries. As a young therapist, I found it very helpful to talk to the patients to get to know them better to help build a trusting bond between us. Once the patients felt comfortable with me, they were able to see that the care I provided to them was worth while in their rehab process."

"Last week I started working with a patient that is recovering from a hip replacement. Treatment may be running slower than some but we are still making progress. I have found with this patient, and with other geriatric patients, that taking a slower approach and talking through each step of the rehabilitation process is important to the patients success."

"Through my years of being a Physical Therapist, I have grown to really enjoy working with older patients. I have found that they require a friendly approach where I can help them relate to me and get to know me better to help build trust between us. One particular gentleman was very hesitant to open up to me and was very bitter when we began rehabbing together. Over time, with my careful and open approach to him, he really opened up to me and became very receptive to the therapy he was receiving. This surely helped enable a full recovery on his end."

Anonymous Answer

"Working with elderly patients wouldn't be much different in terms of the steps that you'll have to go through to give them information about their condition, the steps of the rehabilitation process that you have to follow, and the manners you will treat them to gain their trust. Still, it would definitely be different the timescale of your plan when you take into consideration their decreased motive and desire to get better in a specific time compared to an average younger patient who's more hungry and enthusiastic in getting healthy as soon as possible and most importantly the maximal heart rate that an older patient's cardiovascular system can handle during the exercises. So by having an understanding of the patients' background, you'll be able to create a personalized plan tailored to his goals and capabilities."

Rachelle's Feedback

You make some excellent points here! Try to work on being more concise. Avoid "you" statements and keep your answers personal. Use shorter sentences so that your responses are simpler and easy to follow.

"Working with elderly patients is no different, in terms of the steps that I go through to give them information about their condition, the stages of the rehabilitation process, and my patient approach. The treatment plan differs when it comes to the timescale as often there is decreased motive and desire to fast-track treatment; compared to an average younger patient who's more hungry and enthusiastic for a full recovery. Most importantly, I note the maximal heart rate that an older patient's cardiovascular system can handle during the exercises. By understanding the patients' background, I can create a personalized plan tailored to their goals and capabilities."