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Toni Talks about PT Today

Old School and New School
by Toni Patt
No matter where I am, I hear the old school/new school discussion. In simplest terms, it's a comparison of how we did something years ago compared with how we do it now. In more unkind terms, it can become a condemnation of those who went to school back Read More...
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Finally Something I Enjoy
by Toni Patt
Anyone who reads my blog with regularity knows the last year has been a struggle for me. I lost my beloved job. I was fired for being ethical. I encountered more than my share of unethical and self-serving people. During all of that, I hung on and kept Read More...
3 comments »     
Continuing Education Should Be Evidence-Based
by Toni Patt
I'm a peer reviewer for the Texas continuing education program. I review submissions for neuro, geriatric, acute and general so I get to see a lot what is being proposed for continuing education. Texas has a specific form that must be completed for each Read More...
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Maybe it's a Question of Time
by Toni Patt
Last week I questioned what the definition of skilled therapy was . I had worked with several patients the previous weekend whose only deficit was the need for supervision. I've realized I wasn't clear in describing those patients. All of them had been Read More...
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What Is the Definition of Skilled Therapy?
by Toni Patt
I've been noticing a disturbing trend lately. More and more facilities are considering the need for supervision as a need for skilled therapy. Back in the day, patients referred to SNFs and outpatient had an obvious need. They had trouble walking. They Read More...
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It's Legal but Is It Ethical?
by Toni Patt
Someone was fired last week. The rumor is going around that she was fired because she didn't smile. I don't know if that's true or not but in Texas it is legal. Here an employer can fire an employee for any reason, even if they make it up. Nor do they Read More...
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Time and Money
by Toni Patt
Now that I'm home from CSM, I've had an opportunity to process all of the information. Most of the presentations were excellent. Those that weren't purely theoretical had a common theme. We have to maximize what we do because we're spending less and less Read More...
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What Is a Physical Therapist Extender?
by Toni Patt
Reading Jason Marketti's blog last week reminded me of a discussion we're having here in Texas. It's called RC-3 and is an amendment to the Texas Physical Therapy Practice Act. It proposes unlicensed individuals such as athletic trainers and massage therapists Read More...
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Biting Off More Than I Can Chew
by Toni Patt
Last week, I wrote about my experiences teaching my first CEU course. I mentioned how much work it was but didn't go into details. It took me nearly four months to finish, including two months of working at least an hour or two every night. Now I'm going Read More...
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Putting Up With Bad Behavior
by Toni Patt
Today was one of those days. There is a full moon. Healthcare workers often joke about the effects of the full moon on their patients. I believe there is something to that, which means my patients gets more of a workout than usual. I am used to brain-injured Read More...
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How Much Help Is Too Much?
by Toni Patt
I've been using the Nintendo Wii with more of my patients. This has created a dilemma for me. I don't know how much help to give my patients. At first I didn't help them at all but that wasn't successful. Since then I have alternated between verbal cues Read More...
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How Do You Define Functional?
by Toni Patt
I'm having a debate with the PTA I work with. We can't agree on the definition of functional. I want to use it to describe activities, as in they are functional. She wants to use it to describe actions as functional, such as in functional ROM or strength. Read More...
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The Power of Addiction
by Toni Patt
There is something I don't understand. Why is it that smokers are willing to be discharged against medical advice from a hospital if they aren't allowed to smoke? This morning I went to assess a woman following a TIA. She was more concerned with being Read More...
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Combining PT and ST
by Toni Patt
Lately I've had the opportunity to work with a wonderful ST. We bounce ideas off each other. We've even managed to co-treat a few times. In the course of working together, we've observed that improvement in one discipline carries over to improvement in Read More...
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The Pretty Blond Sales Rep
by Toni Patt
Last week one of our vendors came to the facility to give us an in-service on the company's modality equipment. I'm not a fan of modalities. To say I was less than enthused at the prospect was an understatement. Nonetheless I tried to play along. Everything Read More...
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