BROWSE BY TAGS

• Ethics & Legal Issues
• PTAs
• Rehabilitation

Rehab Criteria
by Jason Marketti

Recently I was told if there is no denial of claims and patients are making progress, the physical therapy department is a success. This got me to thinking about success in a rehab department. What exactly is the criterion for success in rehab? Good communication Read More...

45 views     0 comments »     

Reining Me In
by Jason Marketti

The PTA reports to the PT who is responsible for the patient. I get it. I discussed my role with a PT friend of mine recently and asked her about how much leeway she gives the assistants who work with her. She told me even though she is friendly with Read More...

170 views     1 comments »     

Sisyphean Tasks
by Jason Marketti

Sometimes I feel like my work is to no avail. The endless stream of "revolving door" patients and constant repetition of instructions can drive me insane. I get frustrated when I give a patient HEPs and theraband with detailed instructions on its use Read More...

242 views     1 comments »     

Goal Documentation
by Jason Marketti

"You do not need to address each goal in your daily note. Focus on what you did that was skilled." This is a direct quote from our DOR to me. I really like our DOR, she is fair, concise, and a great clinician but I didn't get what this meant. So I asked, Read More...

322 views     3 comments »     

Nordies
by Jason Marketti

I recently finished several books in rapid succession. One of those was about the Nordstrom stores and their delivery of customer service. A brilliant book about the culture of the store. It was hard to believe that those who work for Nordstrom's are Read More...

193 views     1 comments »     

A Problem
by Jason Marketti

But first an update: A while back I spoke about my CPR Instructor course and no one wanting to pay for it through CEU money and me hoping that our administrator would pay. Well, no one paid for it. Now for the difficult part. I work with a PT who is constantly Read More...

172 views     0 comments »     

Litigation
by Jason Marketti

I have never been hauled into court over what I have or have not done. No jury has appraised me for what I look like and no attorney has battered me on the stand. I recently read Gloria Allred's book "Fight Back and Win." I think if she took on the health Read More...

184 views     1 comments »     

Max Level Performance
by Jason Marketti

I write about complaints I have experienced and concerns I have about the health care industry. But some of my comments are only to make us perform better. Imagine if you never had a thorn in your side asking questions trying to absorb and understand Read More...

149 views     0 comments »     

When the PTA Knows More
by Jason Marketti

I have worked with new grad PTs and those with many years of experience, and there will always be times when I know more than a PT, just as they will, at times, know more than me in relation to patient care and progression. Over the years I have learned Read More...

303 views     2 comments »     

Progression
by Jason Marketti

Therapy treatments should show progression, and insurance companies will approve treatments as long as the patient will progress. This is probably why few PTs are in hospice care. But what about PD and dementia-related diseases that are slowly progressive Read More...

178 views     0 comments »     

“I’m not a nurse!”
by Jason Marketti

This phrase comes up way too often in nursing facility therapy departments. If a patient needs an assessment on blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, respirations, etc., therapists often divert to nurses. WHY? The therapy community is trying Read More...

188 views     0 comments »     

Desk Space
by Jason Marketti

I have had two desks in my career. One was when I worked acute care (many years ago) and the other was last year in a SNF. Currently my "desk" is the top of the therapy steps where it is level with a shelf. This is where I chart on a computer notepad. Read More...

258 views     2 comments »     

Being Physical
by Jason Marketti

I see some "heavy" patients. By heavy I mean they are difficult to position and transfer; some require two people to transfer from the mat to the wheelchair and back. The aide and myself have a pretty good routine when doing this and we ensure we are Read More...

200 views     2 comments »     

PT/PTA Relationships
by Jason Marketti

The PT asked me one day if there was anyone I thought was appropriate for the restorative nursing assistants (RNAs) to work on. Well, if a PT asks for my input I am not shy about giving it. I listed about five patients and the reasons why the RNAs should Read More...

331 views     5 comments »     

Reading My Documentation
by Jason Marketti

Before computors I wrote all my notes out in long hand and could scrible the "n's" and "m's" or add a dot above the word if I wasnt sure the word had and i or an e. There was no spell check with red underlnes or grren wavy lines if the sentances didn't Read More...

250 views     2 comments »