"TOOTHBRUSH EXERCISES"
PATIENT EDUCATION
aka A Patient's Home Exercise Program (HEP)
Over my career - I have come to coin this phase: "toothbrush exercises". When patients ask me how often they should perform their HEP, I ask them, "how often do you brush your teeth?". This helps patients and clients understand, in real time, in their world, and in terms of how long it takes for me to explain the commitment, to themselves, of how important their program is to help them in their rehabilitation. If patients and clients show up, I am there for them 120% of the time. It is my responsibility to help educate them on why, how, and what it means to help themselves, on their road to recovery. HEPs should not be more than 15-20 minutes a day, they aren't "exercise". Their purpose is to pick up where we left off, from their sessions, and move them into the realm of continued care for themselves.
