Group items tagged

Imagine being house-bound with little to no hope of getting out of the house again. Imagine losing your freedom and missing the long road on the back of a motorcycle. Now imagine being able to ride a motorcycle again with adaptations made so that you can do so independently. Here is one man's story about how he dug himself up out of depression post diagnosis. This is how he regained some of his independence.

Originally, I was looking for an article about aging in place but during my search I came across an article, "How Pinterest Can Teach you About Universal Design". Almost everyone is familiar with Pinterest and this article talks about resourceful Pinterest can be. There is a pinner named Claudine Casabonne who shares a bunch of information on universal design. She states that the "goal is inclusive design, which doesn't need adaptation". I thought this was pretty interesting. Following her on Pinterest might come in handy if we ever take our careers in this direction.

If you are working at a drive thru window in Nevada, it is really possible that a car could pull up and have no one inside it. No, it's not a ghost car, but a driverless car, which is actually road legal in that state. This bookmark is a website by BMWi listing new innovations in technology that could benefit disabled persons. Even if some of the products never become widely used, the technologies from them could be put to use in a variety of other ways. The website reads a bit like a commercial, but it still gives you an idea of how technology, adaptive equipment, and the needs of disabled people are converging.

This article addresses the evaluation process and talks about interventions that would allow someone to continue driving, such as remedial and adaptive approaches. The article also gives information on interventions if driving is no longer possible. There is a hyperlink in this article that takes you to the AOTA's driver safety webpage. From there you can search for a driving specialist and access safety guidelines.

This is a great resource for travelers with disabilities. There are many travel tips including talking to the service providers before the trip and be specific about your needs. It reminds you to be prepared and to know your rights. Embedded in the article is a guide to the rights of disabled travelers. Included is a list of resources and websites with a short description that really was helpful and easy to navigate. At the end of the article there was a place where one can share their own travel tips.

I really thought about this website when I was checking out of a hotel yesterday and saw a woman coming out of the hotel in her wheelchair and her husband was carrying all her adaptive equipment to make travel easier for her. Travel is something as OTAs that we need to think about when we are identifying clients 'occupations'.

This is an on-line copy of the textbook Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction, 6th Edition. The first edition of this textbook with authors Catherine Trombly and Anna Deane Scott, was the first textbook aimed at OT for physical disabilities. Pages 22-29 address the origins of Occupational Therapy a lot of which is being discussed in the Work Lesson. Afterwards, it discusses practice tools as being work programs, crafts and exercise, adaptive equipment, PAMs, and orthotics. It helped me to view these in this manner as a choice of possible patient treatments to feel more secure in entering field work in the near future. It also states that physical therapists establish individual motions before the OT works on movement combinations required for ADLs. The simplistic wording of this book helps me to have a greater understanding of the OT profession as a whole which is why I chose to share this site.

I like this website because they post the latest news about the drugs that could treat some form of cancer. All information about cancer (types, treatment, prevention). From this website I found out that every 3th person in United States gets cancer. Also we can read how to live with cancer (coping skills, advice, medical research and information about palliative care). There are also recommendations on how an occupational therapist may help with assistive devices or adapted techniques to help you perform these activities easier. I thought this website was really educational and helpful.

This article explains the different roles each health professional provides a client with dysphagia. The OT's role is to provide treatment and adaptive equipment. Treatment would involve strength and function of the trunk and upper body which effect swallowing safely. A restorative program is also set in place once client is ready to go home.

This is a slide presentation by AgrAbility which does a little bit of teaching about ergonomics and also shows lots of examples of adapted garden tools. I don't garden, but I found this presentation interesting because a lot of older people I know garden, and I enjoy eating their produce! Grips, handle lengths, lightweight materials and the like are described and suggested, either to purchase or make yourself. There's also information about gardening with arthritis and general safety precautions.

This is a video of a man who had severe burns. It shows how he puts on shoes and dons and doffs a jacket. It also includes some neat adaptive equipment he has, including a fishing pole and bowling ball. I didn't even realize he was wearing a prosthesis at first.

This is a video of a guy and his recovery after a severe burn. This shows his occupational performance and some adaptive ways his performs ADLs and IADLs

Fantastic website that provides adaptive equipment for individuals with arthritis, products for caretakers, aids for daily living, and mobility aids. Great resource for our future clients, and their family members.

This infographic can be helpful to caregivers and clinicians alike as it focuses on the psychosocial needs of the client (which can often be overlooked). For health practitioners it is frustrating to see clients not being compliant with their medication or maintaining a healthy lifestyle but sometimes there is more to this than just plain stubbornness. This infographic discusses possible reasons as to why client's are not making the progress we hope for them and it emphasizes the importance of client-centered care. Asking clients WHY and working with them to adjust and adapt their care to reach the best fit for them as individuals is very important.

A Taiwanese designer named Sha Yao began her project in creating tableware for Alzheimer's patients due to her grandmothers deteriorating condition. She based her designs and color usage due to a study finding that the use of bright colors increased the amount of food and liquid consumed by patients. Every piece of the tableware is designed with dementia patients in mind. Some of the adaptive silverware and plates with lips should look familiar from our pediatrics class!

I have actually seen this on Zulily as a white elephant gift for Christmas. However, its a lot more realistic then drinking out of the same cup everyday. These grips can be put on almost any drink. The design makes it even easy to slide in your purse or maybe even your pocket.

I know it may be a faux pas to post an article from a PT website, but the article offers a lot of cool advice regarding house features that are beneficial for individuals with less muscle strength and endurance (whether they be seniors or otherwise physically disabled). The article goes through all areas of the house and highlights common problem areas and how they've been adapted. OT plays a big role in home safety evals, and this site offers a lot of wisdom on the topic.

This infographic offers information on apps that would be beneficial for an aging population. Two apps that stuck out to me were the "Pillboxie" app that helps with medication management and "Silver Surf" which is an adapted web browser that includes larger navigation buttons and white-on-black graphics which allow for better viewing in all lighting situations.