"An Open Letter to the New Therapist,"
By Bethany Light, Leader of the Cerebral Palsy Group
To the New Therapist:
My brother, while smart, and especially funny on a good day, can be an absolute hellion on a bad day, and his bad days have been quite frequent recently. Also, as you now know, he is a big guy, about 6’ 2” and 180ish pounds. He requires mechanical lifts or a big, strong person to maneuver him.
He has been at your therapy center for about 6 months. He was with your center before, when he was in public school, but then moved to equestrian therapy. Unfortunately, the horse he rode became sick, and there were no other horses strong enough for him to ride, since he was one of few adult patients. This upset us a lot, because his therapy horse, Dan, was a friend.
So my brother had to move to your therapy center as it was the closest and supposedly the best center in our rural area. He has been switched through several of your colleagues because they were not strong enough to adequately perform the therapeutic exercises or they could not get around his combative disposition. You, his most recent physical therapist, are average at best.
While you do your job, you aren’t the type of therapist people rave about and line up to see. As your time with my brother has progressed, you become less and less exact about the time frame in which you arrive. Instead of, “I’ll be there at 11”, it became “I’ll be there between 10:30 and 11:30”, and now, to “I’ll be there sometime in the morning”. I understand things come up, you have a lot of patients, but the excuses do not change the way I feel you are wasting my brother’s time.
My brother’s time is not any less valuable because he is in a wheelchair or because he chooses to use your services of physical therapy. My brother has things to do too. Things like fishing, going to a movie, doctors’ appointments, visiting friends, walking the dog around the park, going to the library, and so many other activities, which are just as valid and crucial to his quality of life as your services. We discussed the issue with you, but it wasn’t resolved.
So my brother, his aide, and my family considered how to remedy the problem, and instead of you having to travel to our house, we started going to your hospital clinic for therapy. But the same problems have persisted. You never arrive to the appointment on time. So we discussed the issue with you. Again.
How would you feel if someone gave your best friend or child the run-around three times a week? It would start to get old, and start to get annoying really quickly. Am I right? So, therapist, I’m at a loss. How can we reach a solution so you can see my brother in a timely manner and he can live his life with you only being a small part? Please, let me know because right now you frustrate me beyond belief. You’re almost as bad as the hairdresser who didn’t use a cape over my brother because she “thought it would mess up his wheelchair”, and then proceed to cut his hair, getting it in his eyes, ears, and all over his seat, and tried to let him leave still completely covered in hair. Not quite as bad, but so close.
Sincerely,
A sister who wishes professionals could get their act together when it comes to her brother
Siblings with a Mission is an international organization established to serve and support siblings of individuals with special needs. All images are found on Google images and are solely used for education purposes. The stories and advice provided by Siblings with a Mission are not to be replaced by professional advice and counseling but to be considered as an additional source of support.
By Bethany Light, Leader of the Cerebral Palsy Group
To the New Therapist:
My brother, while smart, and especially funny on a good day, can be an absolute hellion on a bad day, and his bad days have been quite frequent recently. Also, as you now know, he is a big guy, about 6’ 2” and 180ish pounds. He requires mechanical lifts or a big, strong person to maneuver him.
He has been at your therapy center for about 6 months. He was with your center before, when he was in public school, but then moved to equestrian therapy. Unfortunately, the horse he rode became sick, and there were no other horses strong enough for him to ride, since he was one of few adult patients. This upset us a lot, because his therapy horse, Dan, was a friend.
So my brother had to move to your therapy center as it was the closest and supposedly the best center in our rural area. He has been switched through several of your colleagues because they were not strong enough to adequately perform the therapeutic exercises or they could not get around his combative disposition. You, his most recent physical therapist, are average at best.
While you do your job, you aren’t the type of therapist people rave about and line up to see. As your time with my brother has progressed, you become less and less exact about the time frame in which you arrive. Instead of, “I’ll be there at 11”, it became “I’ll be there between 10:30 and 11:30”, and now, to “I’ll be there sometime in the morning”. I understand things come up, you have a lot of patients, but the excuses do not change the way I feel you are wasting my brother’s time.
My brother’s time is not any less valuable because he is in a wheelchair or because he chooses to use your services of physical therapy. My brother has things to do too. Things like fishing, going to a movie, doctors’ appointments, visiting friends, walking the dog around the park, going to the library, and so many other activities, which are just as valid and crucial to his quality of life as your services. We discussed the issue with you, but it wasn’t resolved.
So my brother, his aide, and my family considered how to remedy the problem, and instead of you having to travel to our house, we started going to your hospital clinic for therapy. But the same problems have persisted. You never arrive to the appointment on time. So we discussed the issue with you. Again.
How would you feel if someone gave your best friend or child the run-around three times a week? It would start to get old, and start to get annoying really quickly. Am I right? So, therapist, I’m at a loss. How can we reach a solution so you can see my brother in a timely manner and he can live his life with you only being a small part? Please, let me know because right now you frustrate me beyond belief. You’re almost as bad as the hairdresser who didn’t use a cape over my brother because she “thought it would mess up his wheelchair”, and then proceed to cut his hair, getting it in his eyes, ears, and all over his seat, and tried to let him leave still completely covered in hair. Not quite as bad, but so close.
Sincerely,
A sister who wishes professionals could get their act together when it comes to her brother
Siblings with a Mission is an international organization established to serve and support siblings of individuals with special needs. All images are found on Google images and are solely used for education purposes. The stories and advice provided by Siblings with a Mission are not to be replaced by professional advice and counseling but to be considered as an additional source of support.
