This month’s Clinician Who Inspires is Julie Kidd, DOR and SLP at Faith Community Nursing and Rehabilitation. In conversation, Julie spoke of the importance of keeping patients involved both in the facility and out in the community. Since Faith Community Nursing and Rehabilitation is embedded within the city, a favorite activity for patients is signing out and walking/propelling to the nearby Dollar Store with therapy. Of course, Julie and the therapy team at Faith make this a functional activity by planning in the days prior – making a list of items needed, planning anticipated rest breaks needed with walking, and problem solving the best time of day for this adventure, in lieu of the Texas heat. Using an interdisciplinary approach, PT works with the patients on navigating around obstacles like potholes on the journey while ST works on memory tasks, such as remembering the items from the list, and safety awareness. A main goal that Julie hopes to accomplish this year is setting up the opportunity for patients to read books to the children in the nearby school. This would be another great way for them to connect with the community.
Julie proudly shared other fun and interactive activities that her team coordinates. They host a wheelchair “car wash” day. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the patients get to plan and then participate in washing their wheelchairs to make them sparkly clean. Patients also routinely water plants outside of the facility. Therapists make the activity functional for speech sessions by working on memory, sequencing, and problem solving throughout the watering task.
As a speech therapist, Julie spoke in detail about the importance of rounding during meals. She explained that it’s important to interact with the patients during mealtime to promote socialization, but also to allow for a closer eye on patients with dysphagia to ensure carryover of tasks from therapy to their real-life environment.
Julie, your out of the box approach to treatment and patient care challenges us all to stretch our imagination and put the “fun” back in function. You truly are a Clinician Who Inspires!