I am trying desperately to get my dad to follow commands after surgery. His eyes are now open. What should I be doing?
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He's opened his eyes which is great. That in itself will be overwhelming for him. Unusual place, different people. Don't rush to get him jumping through hoops. The brain can shut down very fast when fatigued. Please take things easy. But....thank you for supporting him.
Can he do basic 1 step imitation? Like open close hand after hearing "do this". This will identify if he has control over his body and which parts. You can say "tap" then touch his finger and physically tap his finger for him and repeat "tap". See if he can do it on his own. This is after you know he can imitate the movement now you can add a word or label to it. Think of movements that might be helpful like "arms up" to help him get dressed. See if he can imitate the movement then add language to keep it easier for him to progress.