This is a handy-dandy chart of a variety of assessments that OTs can use to help determine a patient's functional limitations and how those limitations may change over time. According to fairly new rules related to Medicare, OTs and other therapists must now include a G-code which helps documents changes in patients and gives Medicare decision making abilities about the patient's future services. Originally I was looking for the use of the Barthel Index in OT settings when I found this chart and recognized some of the other assessments as well. If you are especially interested in working with older patients, this chart could be helpful.
I posted this video on facebook. Some people left mean comments about it but I still think it is a wonderful invention. It states in the description that it is not meant for highway use. It has given this woman back some of her independence and I think it is worth it. No, you probably do not want to drive down the interstate with it but it;s great for getting around town at a slow and steady speed.
The Wii isn't just fun and games. It has serious health benefits according to a new study. Published in the journal Radiology, researchers showed that the Wii Balance Board helped patients with multiple sclerosis, or MS, reduce their risk of accidental falls. The study followed 27 participants as they used the balance board for 12 weeks.
I realize this article is mainly about the accolades of the OT Robin Newman. However, I noticed an interesting piece at the end. She is working on a program that focuses on OT treatment for women who experience cognitive difficulties after completing chemotherapy. When my mom went through chemotherapy, the doctors and nurses told us a common side effect was "chemo brain.," where she would forgot how to do common tasks, easily lose her train of though, and not be able to think of words she wanted to say. Chemotherapy affects many areas of the body, including cognitive abilities. OT is definitely qualified to help treat cancer patients regain their cognitive abilities in a therapeutic way. Just another reason to promote OT!
This article discusses virtual reality is being used as a way to help people with disabilities explore the world that are unable to explore in real life. It also shares the video they use for the surfing simulation! Really neat!
Here is an instance where a dynamic splint made the news. A U.S. Ambassador to South Korea was knifed in the face and hand, and this news clip and article discuss his injuries and the brace that was made for him. I find this very interesting as I am right in the middle of Early Chapter 20 -- Hand Splinting.
"What if we took a totally different approach to recess instead? A therapeutic approach that values the needs of the whole child and views recess as a form of prevention instead of simply time to get "energy out." What if we let children fully move their bodies during recess time, let them get dirty, and even test out new theories?"
This is a really cool article on what the therapists role is in driver retirement and helping with finding new ways of transportation for those who need to discontinue driving.
This website describes a new piece of technology that helps with the recovery of burn victims. Researchers have found a way to use skin from an undamaged area, place it in a tube with an enzyme and spray the solution in the tube over the burn area to heal the site in a way that is much less painful than having a skin graph. this process can be a better option than a traditional skin graph because it takes less time for the patient to heal from, it can cover a larger portion of damaged skin from a smaller portion of undamaged skin, and the solution takes very little time to prepare.
60 Minutes on CBS News: Apps for Autism - Autistic people whose condition prevents them from speaking are making breakthroughs with the help of …IPAD APPS...
It's difficult to juggle a job while in college, so that's why it's extremely important to find ways to manage your stress -- especially when papers are due and exams are coming up. Here are some tips on how you can reduce stress while in college:...
Interesting that there are a few Bloom's pyramids floating around out there. When you do a search, it brings up a new "revised" version. Even comparing notes before the exam, people had different layouts.
This link has different powerpoint presentations and other resources you could use in the community or with individual clients. A lot of useful information!!