Give an example of a strength-based approach that could be used to provide bette

Question

Give an example of a strength-based approach that could be used to provide better communication with Ellen.

Ellen is a 45-year-old woman who lives with her husband Lawrence. A workplace accident left her with physical disabilities and an acquired brain injury.

Your role today is to assist Ellen to get ready to attend a doctor’s appointment and then to go to lunch with a friend. Lawrence tells you he would like to help.

Ellen is able to transfer from bed to chair and into her wheelchair using grab rails and bars. She uses a wheelchair when she goes out of the house, as she has little strength in her legs and cannot walk without leaning very heavily on supports. Her acquired brain injury has left her with some speech difficulties and word-finding difficulties. She also has difficulty in taking in large chunks of information all at once.

Ellen loves drawing and keeps a little sketch pad beside her at all times, sometimes using this to communicate. She refuses help from either you or her husband in her transfer from bed to wheelchair to shower chair, even though you feel she could use the help. She tells you that she understands that she might fall but that she is prepared to take the chance as she needs to feel more independent. Her husband supports her in this. While she showers independently, you are to prepare her chair and towels. Once she has completed showering, you are to assist her to dry herself, choose appropriate clothing, get dressed and groomed and, finally, assist her to prepare her breakfast. She tells you that she has been having difficulties with her diabetes, and that she has been feeling unwell in the mornings before breakfast

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Explanation / Answer

A strength-based approach that could be used to provide better communication with Ellen would be to have the conversations centered on how to leverage her “Risk Taking” strength. She should be encouraged about her confidence but at the same time during the conversation, the precautions should be told to her. She should be encouraged to be independent but at the same time, she should be made aware of the risks as well. She should be told that; whatever she wants to do should be at least under someone’s supervision and never alone. For communication drawing on the sketch pad can be encouraged as this also is her strength and requirement at this time.    

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