I created a little controversy recently at Hope Network.
My physical therapist evaluated me a few weeks ago in doing a stand and pivot transfer from my wheelchair to the table mat. She struggled positioning my stiff legs because of the high tone and spasticity.
”For now,” she told me, ”I’m going to recommend that residential staff do only the Hoyer lift transfer until I feel more comfortable in transferring you myself.”
She sent this alert to the residential team via email.
A stand and pivot entails strapping a gait belt around my torso. Two staff positions a pivot disc on the floor. I scoot to the edge of the seat and my feet are positioned on the disc. On the count of three, staff pull me up and I lift off the chair. The rigidity of my tone makes standing very stable. I’m spun 90° and my ass slowly lowers onto the bed.
I told her I have been doing the stand and pivot transfer with some of the residential staff for several months without any issues. Still, she stuck to her guns and would not budge.
I latched onto her word ’recommendation’. I assumed this left some wiggle room for interpretation. I overroad the recommendation and continued doing the stand and pivot transfer, unbeknownst to her.
A week later, I had a session with Madison and Leslie, who is my OT and supervisor of the therapy staff. Madison asked if I was doing the Hoyer transfers from the wheelchair and I went mute.
She gave me that stern look and asked again.
“Honestly,” I said. ”I’ve been doing the standard pivot transfer with some of the residential staff without any issues.”
Wrong answer.
I got the third degree from both Leslie and Madison. I got a lecture about liability issues since it was now part of a treatment plan. Then they wanted me to spill names of the residential staff involved.
“I’m not saying,” I said. ”Snitches get stitches around here.”
My joke fell flat. They offered me a plea deal but I didn’t cave.I almost started sweating from the heat of the light bearing down on me.
I promised only to do the Hoyer transfers until further notice. We continued with the session and I thought all was right in the world again.
But I was wrong.
I was told by the residential staff later that the residential Director came down to question them. She said I would not crack at divulging names and she wanted to know which staff have been doing these transfers with me. Nobody confessed but she gave everyone a stern warning.
She then hung my pivot disc on my wall with the sign attached to it. You can read this in the attached photo.
The guilty staff were appreciative I didn’t cave spilling names during the interrogation. We were all admonished but no one was disciplined.
My pivot desk and sign remain nailed on the wall of shame in my room. It hovers over me like a foreboding warning if anyone pushes their luck. The only thing missing is a wanted dead or alive sign.
I’ll let everybody know when I get the green light for standard pivot transfers again. Then the pivot disc comes down from the wall.
Also pictured is a residential staff named Claire (Peaches). She will be doing a field placement for her OT program in Minnesota this summer. Tomorrow is her last day at Sojo’s. Claire always has a smile on her face and brightens my mood even on bad days. I’ll miss you, Claire! 😢
Leave a Reply