Friday, May 18, 2012

Don't Stress Out About Your Home Program!

"I don't have time for my home program"

Don't stress out about your home program!

We as therapists understand you have a very full schedule whether it be with work, school, doctor's appointments, caring for your home and other children or trying to keep up with care of yourself and day to day struggles.

Home programs are not meant to overburden you and are given with "no judgment" policy!  They are meant to supplement therapy.

Key points to remember about your home program are as follows:

Don't feel you need to lie about completing given activities!
·    We as therapists don't exercise as much as we should or eat as healthy as we should or do all we are supposed to do 100% of time!
·    We will not judge you for not doing it but if we think you are doing the activities that you are not able to, then we cannot accurately judge if they are working or not!
·    We also cannot help you find a way to work them into your schedule if we do not know you are having a hard time finding time.

Don't feel we are wanting you to do our work for us!We promise to always work hard for your child and their progress but realize we see them so few minutes a week that they may make more and/or quicker progress if they can do a few things between sessions.  A lot of kids are seen only 80 minutes per week in therapy yet there are over 10,000 minutes in a week!

Don't avoid a little just because you can't do a lot!If you only have 2 minutes a day but we requested 10 minutes of an activity....2 minutes is GREAT!  We will take it!  Any extra can go a long way for your child.

Don't think it has to be a scheduled out session you need to fit into your schedule!Home programs are most effective and are more likely to be done if it can fit into your daily life.  For example....tummy time does not need to be a 15 minute floor session.  Possible ways to fit in 15 minutes of tummy time are as follows:
·    Carry your child between rooms or between bed and changing table as if they are flying through the air!
·    Have your child lay on your stomach while you lay on your back or lean back in a recliner during bonding time!
·    Roll your child to his/her tummy first thing in the morning while you pick out their clothes and prepare their medications!

Ask your therapist to help you get creative with small ways to incorporate activities that will help your child and easily fit into what you already are doing daily so not to add to your busy busy schedule!
Christine Grover, MS, PT-Home Health Physical Therapist