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6.5.4.3 DISCHARGE PREPARATION
Th'VOLVEl\IENT OF THE FAl\IILY
The family forms the important part ofrehabilitation team therefore it is essential that they
are involved in discharge preparation. This should be done before and after amputation while
the patient is still in the hospital Empathy by the family members should be encouraged
instead ofsympathy. The family members should be encouraged to support the amputees at
all times. All the education given by the rehabilitation team members should focus on both
patient and the family so that they are supported both physically and psychosocially. The
family members should be made aware ofthe activities ofdaily living that can be managed
by the amputees and where they need assistance, especially bilateral amputees, as it take time
to learn difficult procedures like getting out ofthe wheelchair into the bed and from the bed
into the wheelchair.
The family should be educated about psychosocial care, that is, accepting the client as a
human being as before amputation. This would improve the patient's self-esteem The
rehabilitation team should work together with the family to encourage the amputees to be
- involved in community activities which will boost the amputee's morale and self-image. The
family should know about the disability grant that would enable the amputee to look after
himself. The client and the family should be made aware of the community resources
available, like a society for the disabled, though these are very few. Even if there is no
community resource available, the community should be encouraged to be involved in their
rehabilitation and be creative with the support ofthe rehabilitation team, for example with
amputees that were from the rural area where there were no resources at all This would
remove stigma, rejection and poor perception ofthe amputees.
6.5.4.4 HOME TRIAL LEAVE
The rehabilitation team members should make sure that home visits are done to all the
amputees in order to identify areas that would prevent amputees' adaptation to the
community, like environmental barriers. Signs ofamputee's rejection by the family members
could be identified by the rehabilitation team during this period
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