Here's a question I received from a friend:
What are your thoughts on working with a 40 year old man who's been felled by a reaction to a bee sting 5 or 6 years ago. He is in a long term care facility. His eyes are open but he does not see. I think he hears well and understands some/most of what is said around him, but he does not respond in any meaningful way. He can vocalize and uses a few word (I'd say in an automatic way - pat phrases). He can swallow food, but not liquids. He can move his arms and legs and head, and roll to his side(foetal position) but cannot sit or stand. He has to be moved with a winch-like hammock system from bed to chair. He loves music.
I've seen him a few times, but am at a loss of how to go beyond making him feel more relaxed and more comfortable.
My thoughts are that a lesson
is a lesson is a lesson.
comfort and a feeling a reassurance go a long
way to opening a person to being alive
but certainly can't really move
the person forward
(unless they can learn to make themselves more
and then less comfortable as
a volitional thing0
So what's a lesson to be
for this poor fellow
same old same old:
INTELLIGENCE IS THE ABILITY TO DISTINGUISH DIFFERENCES
Can he understand yes and no?
Can he follow someone with his eyes?
Can he open and close eyes on command/
open and close mouth
turn head this way and that
Can he distinguish which music he likes more
Can he tell when the music stops
can he tap this hand, that hand,
this finger, that finger in time to the music
can he watch a hand move up
and down in time to the music
can he tap on his body
or feel taps in time to the music
can he distinguish fast and slow tapping
can he feel the difference between more foetal position and less
can he turn head eyes tongue ? while in fetal position
can pressure through feet or sit bones in fetal position
give information about sitting and standing
and so on
what do we have to lose
trying anything
and everything
that's a start anyway
in a way,
this is like autism:
what can the brain latch onto
and learn from?
anything
anything is
a step in the moving back
into life
direction
ciao
Chris
What are your thoughts on working with a 40 year old man who's been felled by a reaction to a bee sting 5 or 6 years ago. He is in a long term care facility. His eyes are open but he does not see. I think he hears well and understands some/most of what is said around him, but he does not respond in any meaningful way. He can vocalize and uses a few word (I'd say in an automatic way - pat phrases). He can swallow food, but not liquids. He can move his arms and legs and head, and roll to his side(foetal position) but cannot sit or stand. He has to be moved with a winch-like hammock system from bed to chair. He loves music.
I've seen him a few times, but am at a loss of how to go beyond making him feel more relaxed and more comfortable.
My thoughts are that a lesson
is a lesson is a lesson.
comfort and a feeling a reassurance go a long
way to opening a person to being alive
but certainly can't really move
the person forward
(unless they can learn to make themselves more
and then less comfortable as
a volitional thing0
So what's a lesson to be
for this poor fellow
same old same old:
INTELLIGENCE IS THE ABILITY TO DISTINGUISH DIFFERENCES
Can he understand yes and no?
Can he follow someone with his eyes?
Can he open and close eyes on command/
open and close mouth
turn head this way and that
Can he distinguish which music he likes more
Can he tell when the music stops
can he tap this hand, that hand,
this finger, that finger in time to the music
can he watch a hand move up
and down in time to the music
can he tap on his body
or feel taps in time to the music
can he distinguish fast and slow tapping
can he feel the difference between more foetal position and less
can he turn head eyes tongue ? while in fetal position
can pressure through feet or sit bones in fetal position
give information about sitting and standing
and so on
what do we have to lose
trying anything
and everything
that's a start anyway
in a way,
this is like autism:
what can the brain latch onto
and learn from?
anything
anything is
a step in the moving back
into life
direction
ciao
Chris
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