The Importance of Family Support in the OT Process

Speaking from personal experience, I can say that having family support during OT intervention is crucial for successful outcomes. My maternal grandfather fell last Christmas and fractured one of his vertebrae and had to be hospitalized. My grandfather, affectionately called "Pop", has Type II Diabetes, is a stroke and cancer survivor, and has had numerous falls in his nearly 84 years of life. Needless to say, he has quite the medical history. But being a veteran of the Korean War, he doesn't let much get in his way. Though he is sweet, he can be VERY stubborn at times.

When my grandmother was alive, my Pop would do everything for her. He took care of her the best way he knew how, from the time they were both in high school until my grandmother passed away in March of 2012. Since then, my grandmother's three sisters as well as my mom and aunt have stepped up and have taken on the role of being his caretakers. Before my Pop's fall, he was fairly independent. He liked to walk around the neighborhood, play golf, and visit with his family. After his fall, my Pop couldn't do anything by himself. When he was discharged from the rehabilitation hospital, he relied a lot on the women in our family to bring him meals, help him with bathing and toileting, dressing, and getting ready for bed. They even got up with him in the middle of the night.

It's hard to say how my Pop would be doing if he didn't have that constant support. I don't think he would be doing nearly as well. (Full disclosure, he has really enjoyed having his girls over to help him out with his day-to-day tasks and acts like he can't do anything on his own. According to my mom, his OT has really whipped him into shape and has made him use his walker to get around and has even helped him prepare meals and snacks by himself). But I really think having his family around really played a key role in his recovery process. My family has been by his side ever since his fall last Christmas, and they have been watching him and checking on him constantly to make sure he has what he needs and that he doesn't have another fall. I hope that my kids and grandkids will be as supportive for me when I am his age.