Neuro Note 3

For my third neuro note, I chose a Netflix original film, entitled The Fundamentals of Caring. This film, starring Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, and Selena Gomez, chronicles the story of a teenager diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and his journey to stepping outside of his comfort zone with the help of his caregiver. Both Trevor and his caregiver Ben embark on a road trip to see famous sites that he has only watched on television, and they pick up others along the way that lead to new adventures. While I think this is a great film to show the relationship between caregivers and their clients, and can really be important for anyone in the medical profession, I do have to put in a disclaimer that there is a great deal of crude humor and language in the film, so be aware of that if you choose to watch it. Despite this, I would recommend this both as an occupational therapy student and a healthcare professional, as I think it can be applicable to seeing the ups and downs of being a caregiver, whether that is for family or professionally. I chose this film specifically because I had heard such strong things about it, and wanted to see what others were talking about. I also did not know much about DMD prior to watching this, and wanted to learn more about it as a diagnosis. I think my biggest takeaway from this movie, though, had little to do with the diagnosis of DMD, and mostly reminded me about how important the therapeutic relationship with clients is. Through the ups and downs of this movie, Ben, the caregiver, began to realize that he had a huge impact on Trevor, both good and bad. This meant that anything he said or did to Trevor could boost his self-confidence or really put him in a low place. It really reminded me just how important it is to be aware of how what we say and do as occupational therapists impacts our clients. One thing I thoroughly enjoyed was that Ben worked to promote the client's wants and needs in what he did, so he worked to make sure that the client could achieve his goals even when he had to do it in unconventional ways. This was a strong reminder to me to always be trying to achieve what the client wants, and to really promote their goals in therapy. Lastly, Ben was a great example of bringing his own life and experiences into his caregiving. Although it could sometimes be a negative, his own experiences as a father and his humor really showed how much he cared, and it was an inspiration to me to work to show my clients that each day that I am a practicing occupational therapist.


Reference:

Burnett, R. (Director). (2016). The Fundamentals of Caring [Video file]. USA: Levantine Films, Worldwide Pants. Retrieved from https://www.netflix.com/title/80097349