Unfortunately, Mrs. Fox’s right leg was unable to be saved, and she had to have her leg amputated below the level of her kneecap. Other symptoms included difficulty swallowing solid foods, speaking words and complete sentences, anterograde memory impairment, as well as fine and gross motor function deficits in the right upper and lower extremities at the time of the examinations.

Mrs. Fox was admitted to the hospital for 2-3 weeks, where she received all necessary rehabilitation services and showed significant improvement in objective measurements. Although it was discovered that the patient was not yet prepared to return safely to her home with her family, the situation was stabilized. In order for the patient to be transferred to Helen Hayes Hospital, a skilled nursing facility, the necessary paperwork had to be completed. There, she could continue to receive rehabilitative and nursing services.

Mrs. Fox had been a cigarette smoker for 15 years prior to the accident that caused her death. Her doctor strongly advised her to stop smoking because of the detrimental effect it has on tissue healing as well as the overall detrimental effect it has on her health. When asked about her depression during a rehabilitation session, the patient admitted that she had been feeling down because of her circumstances, particularly because she had been having difficulty communicating with her husband and two children. She also expressed concern that she would never be able to walk â€normally†again, or that she would be unable to perform everyday tasks such as brushing her hair or feeding herself as she had done previously. She confessed that the only time she had felt â€happy†recently was when she was painting in the common room with the other students.

Respond to the following questions in light of the case scenario presented above:

1. Which of the health-care professionals who were discussed after the midterm exam may be involved in Mrs. Fox’s care is most likely?

2. What would be the responsibilities of each service provider?

3. What is the specific reason that providers might need to communicate with one another in this particular instance?

4. How might they communicate with one another?

5. What other members of the healthcare team, whether previously discussed or not, might be involved, and what would be their roles in this scenario?