For Therapists
 

Lifestyle and goals.
I believe that a person's lifestyle can influence their overall aim of recovery, such as returning to work. Lifestyle can also play a huge part in setting goals during the recovery journey. After I arrived at rehab and had an initial chat with the therapy team, it was suggested that a good idea would be to set short-, medium--, and long-term goals. I chose to have what I called "super" long-term goals to try and achieve after I got home. Using this method gave me things to focus on during a long stint in rehab, and I still use goal setting now. I had short-term goals within a few weeks, medium-term within a couple of months, and long-term goals by the time I let rehab. I started with the basics of holding a ball in my weak hand, moved to picking up a wooden block, and finally trying to tie shoelaces and get dressed by myself. Once home, the goals of a survivor can be changed to suit daily life. After a lot of practice, I can now use a trolley in the supermarket.

Personality and emotions
Even if you only get a short time in a therapy session, try to learn your patient's personality. I felt more like myself; I could make rehab seem less clinical and as though I was getting some form of everyday life back, even though I was starting a very long and daunting road. Understanding a survivor's personality allows you to determine the best way to motivate them in their rehab journey.

Whilst it is a professional relationship, some form of emotional support helps. I struggled to accept the reality of how long and complicated the process is. All my therapists have taught me how to try and balance my ambition with reality. I wasn't aware how big the psychological struggle was going to be, so the first few times I did everyday tasks were eye-opening. If you can go through household chores (cooking, laundry), community activities (shopping, visiting a café), and even trying to cross the road, it will give a huge confidence boost to your patient.

When it comes to emotional support, mental health is a huge part of recovery and one I didn't expect. I don't like the phrase "new life, new you", but it fits when related to mental health. A survivor has been through a life-changing experience, and whilst they are still the same person, their daily life is going to change in multiple ways. As I have said, my therapists were amazing, but because I was so busy during my four months in rehab, and if I wasn't busy, I was resting, the mental health side didn't immediately materialise. It was only after a couple of months that reality properly set in. I've started seeing a psychologist who is helping me cope with the negative effects, which for me have been everything from depression to frustration and anger. Once you become aware of your patient's personality and goals, it could be worth suggesting help to manage the emotional side of recovery.

Communication
Depending on the survivor's level of cognition, talking about the aims for recovery and their ongoing progress is crucial. For me, the biggest thing was feeling as normal as I could. Communication with family members (if possible) can really benefit recovery. My family visited rehab and occasionally participated in a therapy session. My physiotherapist wanted to show them how to help me walk, and my speech therapist found FaceTime calls enormously beneficial when I was learning to speak during trach weaning.


Finally, therapy is an invaluable part of recovery from a survivor. Thank you.