Bootcamp physio

[billybobbytee]

My son has just been on a physio course for a couple of weeks at a very well-known hospital.

It was like a boot camp.

The children were shouted at, told they were pathetic if they didn't get things right, ordered to do increased tasks as 'punishment', told to shut up etc.

I felt really uncomfortable about this. DS told me and I checked with other children who agreed this was going on.

I raised it. It wasn't denied but I was made to feel like a 'clucky' mother and pretty much 'frozen' out as a result and treated very abruptly (and quite rudely) on discharge.

Seriously, though, adults wouldn't accept this, why should vulnerable children?

hi my friend and i had exactly the same experience. we have undiagnosed children aged 2 with development delay and low muscle tone, cannot sit etc.

It was a group that we were made to go to once a week to replace our physio and we went once and never went back. It was litterally like a boot camp with mums all lined up with their 1 and a half year olds and we had to stick to a strict schedule of forcing them into positions and some stuff that they cant do and we were constantly frowned at and barked at by the staff and they were putting our children down about certain stuff that they should be doing and barking orders! the whole attitude from them was horrible and negative. they made you feel like you were doing everything wrong anf you were a bad mum.

My son burst out crying half way through and i got daggers off the teacher when i tried to settle him with a cuddle. I actually got up and walked out to a quiet room and came back in. He got his dummy pulled out of his mouth (which is the only thing that settles him) got told he needs to drink out of a different beaker and eat different food and he needs to learn to sit in a variety of different positions and forcing him into positions etc They were just constantly putting them down about stuff and they didnt seem to care that they are disabled children and no one knows them more than their mums do. There was just no care or compassion towards them it was boot camp to force them into stuff they just cannot do yet. My son just doesnt understand how to do things and theres no point pressurising him until he understands. hes got weak muscles and really poor balance too.

my friend and I were in shock when we left it brought my friend to tears. I dont think these people have a clue about disability and we even questioned the leaders qualifications. It was as if they were punishing them for being disabled. some of the mums were fine with it all and got on with it. but my son gets tiered so easily i just couldnt put him through it all every week. i think because he doesnt have a diagnosis they think he just needs a boot camp to MAKE him learn. it even said on his notes "possible mitochondrial dysfunction" which effects his energy production, but that didnt matter to them. they were shocked when my friend complained too and said "ooh well weve never had anyone complain before" its just awful isnt it. glad someone else has highlighted this though, does make me worry now about putting him in school and his care when he is older if thats what they are all like!

Bloody hell!

I'm really shocked. Although, I know, nothing should shock me anymore.

I think you should name and shame to help other parents.

Well it was the most well-known children's hospital in the country!

It was two weeks, residential, no parents allowed, three hours a day.

There was no attempt to consider the 'whole child'. It didn't matter if children were hurting, not sleeping or even being sick. I understand this was very costly course and there was pressure to get results against the clock but there was a massive variety of ages - 4-15 in the same room.

There was also a massive variety of needs and other associated needs above and beyond the physio e.g autism, complicated medical conditions and a very young staff some of whom seemed out of their staff and not to understand the basics of managing a group of children.

My son is stronger but this is a modern hospital, a centre of excellence and although we were grateful for the intervention, it was very disappointing to find these attitudes.

Absolutely dreadful!

You might find this organisation more helpful.

www.smallstepssfp.org.uk

Thanks Anna. That seems to be just London based though. We are not in London.

The course is clearly very expensive for the hospital to run and it gets results but I just wonder - at what cost?

Shouting 'you're pathetic' or 'shut up, no one wants to hear what you say' at children would not be acceptable at school so why is it ok within a health environment?

It's almost like - you're getting the physio, asking them to care as well is asking for too much. But I think, like everything, it is overstretched staff, low morale, pressures of work and results, funding cuts etc.

And yet again, the child suffers.

Lots of mobile phones these days have video cameras and these can by unobtrusively used. This could then be shown to the Head OT. On the other hand there is a difference between motivating those who dont want to be motivated and pain city. My starting point would be what do the kids say afterwards.

Only children are allowed in. The kids were all agreed on this going on.

I don't think it was meant to be cruel, I just think the drive to get this disparate group of complex youngsters to a certain level within two weeks was so overwhelming, they don't have time to get to know the kids or their needs.