Reference no: EM133329435
Case: John is a 50-year-old man who lives in a small apartment in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife. He is a retired law enforcement officer who now spends his days playing chess with his friends, gardening, doing outdoor activities, and cooking. He enjoys spending time with his family, going on walks, and playing video games. John was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) approximately three years ago. He has noticed that his muscles have been steadily weakening over time, and he has difficulty completing everyday tasks. He has also seen his speech becoming slower and has difficulty forming words. He has started to rely more heavily on his wife for help with daily activities and finds it difficult to do things he used to enjoy. His family has also noticed that his balance and coordination have been affected, making it difficult to do something like walking and gardening. His family has noticed that his deficits have progressively worsened, mainly impacting his speech as they sometimes find it challenging to understand him.Furthermore, due to his difficulties in communicating, his family has noticed this affecting his social life, making him not want to go out with friends sometimes. Overall, John's ALS has significantly impacted his quality of life, making it difficult to do the things he used to enjoy. John has adapted to his condition and is doing his best to continue living. He has started using a wheelchair for longer distances and an augmentative and alternative communication device to help him with his speech. He also tries to stay as active as possible and can still play chess and cook. He can still enjoy time with his family and is grateful for their support. Overall, John's physical appearance has changed significantly since he was diagnosed. He has lost a lot of muscle mass, and his speech is much slower and more difficult to understand. He has also lost a lot of his balance and coordination, making it difficult to do everyday tasks. Despite these changes, he can still enjoy life and is grateful for the support of his family.
Which deficits can you treat?
Question 1: Think through any cognitive, communication, swallowing, hearing deficits which may be involved. Once again, think through how these deficits are impacting your patient's daily activities.
Question 2: Find at least one treatment approach you might implement. Explain how you chose this approach and how it will address deficits involved.
Question 3: Are there any compensatory strategies you could recommend to help your patient complete their tasks of daily living more effectively/safely despite their identified deficits?
Question 4: How can you best educate your client/patient and their loved ones?