Functional Disability Case Study

OVERVIEW:

Carol is a 66-year-old retired woman who is post stroke with severe expressive aphasia and ataxia. She is OX3. Since she lives alone, in a one-story house, sometimes her phone is out of reach, which can be a major hazard. Because of her decreased ability to understand or express speech, it is difficult for people to communicate with her. For example, she went to the ophthalmologist and tried to convey that she is having difficulty with her depth perception, but they did not understand and nothing got fixed. This is a major concern for her in safely completing her ADLs and IADLs. Another concern is she has decreased control of bodily movements, which has led to increased falls. She utilizes her some of her DME like the wheelchair,

That is a major concern with someone, especially someone who lives alone and cannot get help quickly. She rates this activity as very important for her to be able to transfer from one place to another. Presently, she has problems transferring from the toilet or wheelchair to the shower bench and from the wheelchair or bedside commode to her bed. Educating her on safer ways to transfer can decrease her falls and increase her functional mobility. She desires to be able to get her mail from the mailbox and rates this also at a 10. She does not enjoy waiting to receive her mail and hopes that there is a way that she can get it the same day to pay bills and stay up to date on her current

Since jewelry making is one of her hobbies she really enjoys we, as the OTAs, have to come up with a way she can reach her supplies without having to rely on others. I recommend we put some adjustable shelving on the walls, at easy reach for Carol, so she can put her equipment from the closet on the shelves and put other things she does not typically use in her closet. It is mounted on the wall so there is no worry about the shelves moving when taking things down. I am using a client-centered approach because she enjoys making jewelry and she rates this the top rate of importance to her. So I found a way she can still do what she loves, but at a more independent level instead of depending on