When you first walk into the room, you see your loved one hooked up to all kinds of unidentifiable wires and tubes, and you hear the doctors and nurses speaking in what might as well be a foreign language. You may be tempted to sink to the floor and cry, but don't give up hope just yet.
Hospital Survival Guide: A Physical Therapy Perspective was written with you in mind. After all, you shouldn't need a medical degree just to understand the information presented to you or recognize the issues that should be of concern to you.
Whatever your loved one is facing, this handbook will be your new best friend. It will suggest improvements for your interactions with hospital staff, teach you some of the basic equipment that you will see in hospital room, direct you to the appropriate questions to ask, identify some basic problems to be aware of, and more.
Much like Dr. Brian Goldman, author of The Secret Language of Doctors: Cracking the Code of Hospital Culture, Ronald M. Wild, PT, wants you to go in as prepared as possible, not mystified by any particular terms or hospital room setups. Don't go through this vulnerable time alone; let the knowledge in this guide bring you comfort and security.
About the Author: Ronald M. Wild, PT, received bachelor's degrees in both physical therapy and business administration from the University of Buffalo. He has nineteen years of experience as a physical therapist and has held various staff and management positions in multiple hospital settings, such as acute inpatient care, long-term acute care, acute rehabilitation, outpatient, and skilled nursing. Wild has current certification in Functional Movement Screening (FMS) and was formerly certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS).
