Because the Family Wants It
Because the family wants it isn't a reason to order physical therapy. Because it would make the family feel better isn't something that requires skilled intervention either. Last weekend I ran into a nurse who disagreed with me about this. I performed the evaluation and signed off. I have nothing to offer an unstable C3 quad whose family is independent with ROM exercises and nursing gets out of bed daily.
The majority of families would like their loved ones to get therapy. Therapy is beneficial. Seeing their family member getting up and moving around implies the patient is getting better. The opposite is true when the patient doesn't get therapy. The sense of getting better isn't there. That doesn't mean everyone should be getting therapy.
Not all patients are appropriate for therapy. I run into this a lot in the NICU. Some patients just aren't awake enough to participate. I check on them every few days. I monitor ROM and positioning. I teach ROM exercises to families. I don't see them daily for PROM and out of bed in a neuro chair. Those aren't skilled services. Every so often I get orders to do something more because the family doesn't think the patient is getting enough therapy.
Last weekend a family member followed me around the floor while I walked other patients. Her husband wasn't on the caseload because he was unresponsive. I guess she thought staring at me would get him seen. A few days previously, I spent 30 minutes explaining to a daughter that unless her dad woke up and participated in therapy there wasn't much we could do. She insisted dad was just sleeping and would wake up if we let him walk.
This is something that irks me to no end. I understand how the family feels. But I shouldn't have to be the bad guy. At least once a week I have to explain to someone that it isn't safe to walk patients who aren't awake. And no, standing them up won't wake them up no matter how stubborn they were before the stroke.