SLUMS Assessment

    

    As part of our Neuro Aspects course I'm taking in OT school, I participated in a clinical simulation encounter today during which I administered a cognitive screening to a person with a recent history of a stroke.  I used the screening tool SLUMS also known as St. Louis University Mental Status Examination. In this screening I was able to assess the client's cognition and see how the client processes the information given to them, and to see if the client was able to pay attention and if they were or were not able to understand the information given to them. Cognition is how the brain learns new things and processes that new information. When working with a client with a cognitive disorder, OTs can work on making tasks simple by breaking the tasks down into small steps and include verbal and non-verbal cues. We can also educate the clients and their caregivers about their diagnosis and talk about home modifications to allow the client to maintain as much independence as possible. 

    My client scored a 16 out of 30 on the SLUMS assessment tool. This means that they fall in the category of experiencing dementia symptoms. Some things my patient could experience are forgetting important dates and family members, misplacing items, getting lost easily, and unable to complete tasks due to forgetting what they are currently doing.  I think I did well telling my client what OT is. I talked to them in everyday language to make it easier for them to understand. I think I could have asked them a personal question of what they like to do to give a better example of what I could do to help them. I adapted my speech by talking about OT in the most simplest way possible. My client told me that they have never heard of what OT was, so I wanted to give them short and sweet answers so I will not overwhelm them with lots of information.

    During the assessment, I think I did well at making my client feel comfortable with me and that they felt valued and heard. In class we talked about how the client may not remember what you did or said, but they will remember how they felt. I think it is important that my client will always feel seen, valued, and heard when they are working with me and that I will hopefully make a memorable impact on their life. If I could redo the assessment, I would have managed the conversation more so that I could finish the assessment. There were a few questions where my client would talk for a minuet or two and I would let them say what they were saying because I did not want to be rude and cut them off. Next time I would nicely cue them to the next question so we could finish sooner, and the client would be able to tell me some things more personal about themselves. My biggest take away from this experience is that it is so important to build rapport with your clients. I was nervous preparing for the assessment, but I know I walked in the room confident in myself so that my client will also feel confident and comfortable. In the debriefing I was so excited talking about our experiences and it assured me that I was meant to be an OT! Going forward, I will work on building rapport with my clients and not being as nervous to take charge of conversations if needed for time constraints. I can't wait for another experience like this one!