Re: Mentally Challenged Residents

[Corey Ali]

Many times these people do quite well in therapy depending on the degree of "teachability".  While many of them are quite limited in the formal sense of teachable, most of them can learn by rote routine.  If she was walking at home, it is quite likely that if the fracture was repaired that she can walk again.  Is this patient a Down's syndrome patient?  If so, you need to assess for the liklihood of progressive dementia having set in, and how much it is limiting her now.  Otherwise, I'd certainly go for admitting her.   Corey ----- Original Message ----- From: Libby Cawthorn To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 8:55 AM Subject: Mentally Challenged Residents We are a hospital based SNF, Medicare only and geared mostly towards short time rehab. I eval'd a mentally challenged 44 year old female and she meets the criteria for admission. The problem is our therapy dept. is hesitant about her due to her mental defect and feel she is not teachable. This patient attends an Adult Day Care program and lives at home with her father who is very supportive. She ambulated independantly before fracturing her hip in a fall. Admission is my decision but I am not sure what to do in this situation. How do other facilities handle the mentally challenged and patients with Alzheimer's that need rehab following ortho surgery? I feel like we take only "the cream of the crop" and leave the ones who could really benefit from our services out there to become someone else's problem. I don't want to admit her and then have therapy eval and discharge.       Libby Cawthorn, RN Director/MDS Coordinator SNF