Group items tagged

This is an interesting association called Adaptive Design Association that works with PT, OT, and parents to help make your own adaptive equipment out of cardboard and other resources.  You can design specific and client centered equipment that is very cost effective.     Truly amazing!

The Tennessee Association for Assistive Technology (TAAT) is the professional association of assistive technology providers in Tennessee. Membership is free to anyone wishing to learn more about Assistive Technology, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, special and regular education teachers, as well as disabled individuals and/or their families.

Living in a community with ample open space is associated with more physical, occupational and social participation for adults with physical impairments, according to new research. Authors Amanda Botticello, PhD, MPH, and Nicolette Cobbold, BS, of the Kessler Foundation, West Orange, N.J., and Tanya Rohrbach, MS, of Raritan Valley Community College, Branchburg, N.J., explored associations between community and neighborhood land uses and community participation.

The National Association of Home Builders offers information on creating a safe, accessible home for those people wishing to age in place. As people get older many find it important to be in familiar surroundings. Included are questions the home owner should ask like what things are needed in the home in order to age safely. There is a checklist provided on how to choose a remodeler. Additional questions are included that the homeowner should consider asking in order to get exactly what they need. There are Certified Aging-in-Place specialists that are trained in this specific area.

I know we have already went over this topic, but I thought this page was really informative on dysphagia. Usually most pages just list the definition and the symptoms, but it goes on and on about various aspects that are associated with dysphagia. It even explains what you should ask that doctor when you first visit him/her. I just wanted to share this site encase you know someone that suffers from it and this would be helpful!!

interesting list of skin problems associated with amputations

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that, "Manual lifting of residents be minimized in all cases and eliminated when feasible." The American Nursing Association finds that, "Every day, nurses suffer career-ending and life-altering injuries from repeatedly lifting and moving patients," and outlines sound ergonomic...

Pretty good read on kinesiology tape and the billing codes (or lack of) associated with it. They give some recommendations as to what code it may be filed under.

A company specializing in communication devices. The website gives you an option to choose your disability (ALS, TBI, Autism, etc) and recommends products that are associated with it. Also information on trouble shooting with products and questions related to training and using your device.

Some things to remember about OT's involvement in return to work. This is from the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

Driving and Community Mobility A medical doctor wrote and asked if we do "driving evaluations," and if so, what exactly it is we do. As the co-editor of a text published by the American Occupational Therapy Association, I was challenged to respond in a brief manner.

List of services offered by county from the American Public Transportation Association (rail, ferry, etc)

I liked the video on this page and it has ideas for improving your blood pressure as well. They also work in combination with the Blood Pressure Association to create the site.

This page from the AOTA website contains links to various topics associated with the aging adult. These are tip sheets that explain different conditions and how OT can help. These include aging in place, living with Alzheimer's, fall prevention, hip replacement, home modification, low vision, driving and stroke. In addition to the tip sheets, there are links to videos for aging in place, home modification and precautions the elderly can take to prevent falls in the home. This is a great place to look to obtain a lot of good information on a variety of problems the elderly can face and how occupational therapy can help this population.

Physical restraint reduction was associated with significant reduction in average length of stay in convalescent medical wards, especially in the cognitively impaired patients.

Here's a pretty neat article regarding exercise and stress. I think we all have some stress/anxiety, so for those of you that exercise, keep this in mind.

Ergonomics: Occupational Therapy in the Workplace (From the American OT Association: Reproducible consumer handout to further public education) Ergonomics is the science of designing a person's environment so that it facilitates the highest level of function. A person's work environment should fit his or her capabilities as a worker.Good ergonomics prevent injury and promote health, safety, and comfort for employees.

This is very good website about Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is very easy to follow the description about the disease, symptoms and treatments. From the website I found out that cigarettes participants in more risk to develop RA. The website provides knowledge about alternative methods of treating RA such as (hot packs/cold packs, etc). Different types of exercise like swimming, biking, walking, yoga, tai chi can improving mobility. Author of the website writes about natural supplements such as Fish oil that may slow down deformities associated with disease.

This article was in the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Occupational Therapy Now magazine. It discusses how occupational therapy is increasingly used in the role of pain management for cancer patients.

Treatments for disorders of the UE. There are pictures of the devices, the indicated diagnosis, purpose, and benefits. A great resource if you work in a clinic that does splinting/orthotics. These are custom fabricated and there are benefits associated with making your client's splints-removable, adjustable, reform-able, can get wet, and can be cleaned.

This article is a good read on splinting! It discusses different kinds of splints and ways they can be used for therapy.

This page details a number of custom hand orthotic devices and what conditions they treat and their purposes.