Physical Care Skills - Restorative Skills
Core concepts
Restorative care means helping residents keep or regain function rather than doing everything for them. It includes range of motion (active, active-assistive, and passive), safe ambulation with a gait belt, use of canes and walkers, positioning and body alignment, splint and brace application, bowel and bladder retraining, and encouragement of self-care. Follow the care plan exactly, because therapy goals are built on repetition. Report pain, fatigue, or loss of function promptly, since these change the plan. Document what the resident actually did, not what you did for them.
Traps to watch for
- Holding a cane on the weak side. A cane is used on the stronger side for support.
- Pulling a resident up by the arm or under the armpit instead of using a gait belt.
- Leaving a wheelchair unlocked or the bed too high during a transfer.
- Performing range of motion past the point of pain or forcing a stiff joint.
- Skipping a prescribed exercise because the resident is tired, without telling the nurse.
- Removing a splint for comfort without an order.
- Doing a task for the resident that they could complete slowly on their own.
Rule of thumb
Use it or lose it. If the care plan says the resident walks to the bathroom with a walker and one assist, that is what happens each time, even when it takes longer.