The Best Way to Motivate Patients in Recovery

The Best Way to Motivate Patients in Recovery The period following surgery can be the most challenging time a person might face in his or her life. Many patients are simply afraid to walk after a surgical procedure. They may be concerned that they will fall, or that sutures may pull apart. Offer support in the form of a walker or wheelchair until the patient feels they can maintain their balance. It may take some time to assure them the sutures are secure; however you can remind them that avoiding mobility is more of a danger than the concern of the sutures.

Even though the surgery itself might be live-saving, the postoperative weeks of recovery are painful, frustrating and boring as your body heals. Healing itself is a process that can’t be rushed; it takes as long as it takes, and if you try to do too much before you’re physically ready, you can actually cause damage.

That being said, there are ways you can optimize your recovery time, ensuring that you heal as well and as quickly as possible.

Eating Healthy When it comes to motivating your patient, eating healthy is crucial. If their surgery is planned, and the patient has weeks or even months before the procedure, encourage them to take that time to get their diet in order.

Related: How to handle more than one Job Offer Advise the patient to drink lots of water and concentrate on eating lean protein, fruits and vegetables. “Protein is key for cell recovery, while antioxidants promote healing and boost your immune system by fighting free radicals, thus reducing the odds of a postoperative infection.”

No other change in diet is necessary — that includes taking any supplements, unless prescribed by the doctor. In fact, “Some [supplements], like omega-3 fatty acids and ginseng, may cause surgical complications such as increased bleeding; others may interfere with anesthesia.” Healthy eating should continue after surgery as well, the better the diet, the better the patient will feel, and heal.

Encourage Walking The rule of thumb is to have surgical patients up and walking as soon as possible. Walking can prevent blood clots and pneumonia. Many patients are very reluctant to walk after a surgical procedure. It can be painful and uncomfortable; however, it is necessary for recovery. Provide the patient a

schedule that they can follow for walking times, and schedule your visits around the designated times so that you can encourage the patient to walk.

Resistance is a very common reaction, especially in older patients. Remind the patient that the sooner they can walk, the sooner they can recover, and continue to provide that message, and they will not heal unless they walk as prescribed by their physician.

Motivating a Reluctant Patient Behavior change is a gradual process, accomplished in stages through which the patient must progress. Not all at-risk individuals will be ‘ready’ to change and behavioral interventions should be tailored accordingly. Raising awareness of the problem and providing relevant information in a nonconfrontational manner may help increase an individual’s readiness to attempt physical therapy.

The Patient's Willingness and Determination Health-related behaviors are determined by a person’s understanding of the issues involved and by their perception of how relevant these issues are to their personal circumstances. For change to occur, they must believe that their behavior makes them vulnerable to a particular health problem, that the problem is potentially serious, and that the benefits of taking action outweigh the potential costs. Social factors, such as social norms or ideals and the attitudes of friends and family, can also influence a person’s willingness to engage in behavioral change. Some patients assume that after surgery, they should remain bed ridden.

Patient Fears Fear of failure can be an important barrier to change. Health care professionals have an important role in enhancing the patient’s self-efficacy, or confidence in their own ability to realize a particular goal. This involves not only providing reassurance and constructive feedback, but also giving them the skills and resources they need to achieve success.

Goal setting and action planning is one tool that can help patients to improve diet and physical activity, particularly when they are planned in collaboration with a health professional. Action plans with a high probability of success are preferable, since even small successes can increase patient self-esteem and motivation. The SMART acronym has been used as a guideline for setting suitable goals and refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-framed.

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Practical guidelines •Identify a target behavior that would benefit the patient’s health.

•Discuss the link between behavior and health, and the patient’s perception of its relevance to their own situation.

•Assess the patient’s readiness to become mobile, per the degree of resistance encountered, and tailor the consultation accordingly.

•Avoid being judgmental or confrontational and do not persist in advocating change when resistance is high.

•Explore and empathize with the patient’s own motivations, feelings and beliefs. Encourage them to weigh up the pros and cons of behavior change in their own words.

•If a decision to change appears imminent, guide the patient towards formulating their own action plan to become active again.

•Encourage them to set SMART goals (up to three), incorporating behaviors that can be easily integrated into their current lifestyle and have a high probability of success. Support from family, friends or other patients may help achieve those goals.

•Discuss potential barriers to change and how the patient plans to deal with them.

•Provide access to information and other resources that will support the patient in the process. Individualized computer-generated materials can be beneficial.

•Maintain contact, provide feedback and encourage self-monitoring of progress.

•Recognize that relapse is common and does not constitute a failure of the process. Discuss options with the patient to deal with in-met goals. The patient may cooperate one day with physical therapy, and they following day, refuse.

Have family members assist in encouraging patients to work toward recovery. Many insurance companies will reject paying for a hospital stay if the patient is not making progress on a daily basis. Be certain that the patient understands the repercussions of being discharged if they don’t demonstrate initiative to move forward in their recovery. Every patient is different, and will recover and heal differently; however the importance of being as mobile as possible is the same for everyone. Be patient, but

persistent, most physicians leave very strict orders that their patients need to be mobile following their surgical procedure.

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