Rebecca's Recovery Case Summary

This case presented the mother and sister of the patient sleeping in a couch for several weeks. It was noticed that Rebecca’s mother was loosing weight, looking tired and weary. It was obvious the new challenges were draining Rebecca’s mother in a progressive way, she was not taking care of herself, neither was Rebecca’s sister.

In addition to addressing the injury causing psychological and physical trauma to the patient, health professionals must address how the injury will impact the family, as they are involved in patient recovery. Family members will be subjected to stress, physical and psychological; also financial stress might take part if the patient was the principal financial contributor to the household.
Health care professional,
must be aware of the boundaries of the profession. Furthermore, physical therapists are not responsible for treating family members, but guidance is extremely important, although our expertise is limited when it comes to counseling or advising with coping regarding the new challenges.
These new tasks will challenge family’s physical and psychological state, most family members will lack support and direction on how to look for further support from other professionals, helping in this matter is key for recovery. Furthermore, it is crucial to incorporate therapy to family routine as soon as possible. Family members must be advise on how important is for them to stay focused on the long term goals and to further take care of themselves and distribute or delegate responsibilities among other family members involved with the patient in an effort not to drain the energies. Also, when feeling stressed or tired it is crucial to understand when to ask for help. In this case, Rebecca’s mother was lacking to take care of herself, also neglecting spending time with her other daughter. Maintaining all family involved, asking for help and spending quality time with other family members is crucial.