Nancy J. Beckley (nancy@nancybeckley.com) is President of Nancy Beckley & Associates LLC, a rehab compliance consulting firm in Milwaukee, WI.
It all started with grand rounds — my questions and answers about therapy patients. Let me give some context. I started my career in therapy at the most exciting time. I was developing wheelchair sports programs, community integration rehabilitation activities for discharged spinal cord-injured patients, and often spent the day in my rehabilitation center’s therapy pool. During those days over 30 years ago, I learned compliance from all the risk management exposure — permission to bring pets in the rehab center, taking patients “sit-ski” water skiing, and assembling wheelchair rugby, basketball, and track teams. During these at-risk activities, it was important to know how to manage a patient, based upon their medical complexities, including the risk of pressure sores, autonomic dysreflexia, sodium content, catheterization and suction schedules, and adaptive equipment.
