Group items tagged

Links for media resources and fact sheets about preventing falls.

I think we need to be aware of the warning signs that affect that impair driving.

We are not victims, we are survivors! True stories of burn survivor's. To raise public awareness for burn survivors and survivors in general. Share your story for Free and help someone.

At my last fieldwork placement I got to watch a couple of driving assessments. Driving brings a person much freedom. Taking away the privilege can be devastating to some. This article gives some good tips on to talk with a loved one about their ability or non-ability to drive. I think the tips would apply to those of us who find ourselves working in situations where we would have to talk with client's about this subject.

This is a tough issue. I used to worry about my grandmother so much. She started having little fender benders. It is good for us to be aware as COTA's how significant driving or not driving can be to our clients.

The conversation regarding when someone should no longer drive could be quite hard. I found this website that gives advise on how to have this conversation. It discusses how to plan for it, how to bring it up, how to handle objections and the environment in which it should take place. It also talks about how to help the individual with the transition (finding other means of transportation, etc).

What is Mindfulness Meditation? Mindfulness is a type of meditation that essentially involves focusing on your mind on the present. To be mindful is to be aware of your thoughts and actions in the present, without judging yourself. Research suggests that mindfulness meditation may improve mood, decrease stress, and boost immune function.

Identify Your Stress Level and Your Key Stressors Weekly Stress Log Now that you are familiar with the signals of stress, complete the weekly stress log below to map patterns in your stress levels and identify sources of stress. Enter a score for each hour of each day according to the ratings listed below the log.

This link has different powerpoint presentations and other resources you could use in the community or with individual clients. A lot of useful information!!

For most people sexuality is a very intimate area of their personal life which they do not wish to share with other people with the exception, perhaps, of a few very close persons. On the other hand, other peoples' sex life is of great interest to a large part of the population as evidenced by the huge market for sex-oriented films, magazines and similar products.

This article has a great list of websites for patients, care givers, and therapist. Great resource for sex and OT.

In class we have been discussing the wellness wheel and holistic health. This article about wheelchair tennis is inspiring and encouraging for persons living with disabilities. As practitioners, we should be aware of a variety of resources that could help our clients live full lives. "Wheelchair Revolution" relates the history of wheelchair tennis through the lives of Brad Parks and Jeff Minnebraker, both paraplegics. The two fatefully met at the Ranchos Los Amigos rehab center (remember the levels of consciousness scale by the same name?) in the 1970s. Minnebraker was a pioneer of lightweight, maneuverable w/c's, while Parks was experimenting with w/c tennis. The article also describes the game's popularity, attractive prize money, international tour, and sizable fan base. More info on wheelchair tennis can be found at http://www.usta.com/Adult-Tennis/Wheelchair-Tennis/Wheelchair/.

This website really helped me understand body mechanics more. Of course we all should know by now what the basic body mechanics are "lift with your knees, keep heavy loads close to your body etc." This website takes it one step further and actually describes in detail how to specifically perform each technique. It also mentions several techniques that I was not aware of. It is so important to take care of your body, and to stay safe. This is a great website to take a look at!

This article addresses the fact that just because you may be paralyzed does not mean your libido and need for sexual expression changes. It also goes on the talk about orgasms and how women can achieve a "normal orgasm", breast health, and birth control.

I am not sure I like that fact that they refer to sexual abilities be less affected in women with SCI than men. In my opinion it is a tad sexist and biased. Aside from that this article contains some information that would be helpful to be aware of going into to working with clients with SCI.

Disability awareness in Dubai!

This article has some insights about gay/bi/trans people and aging that many of us may not have thought about. Two that particularly stood out for me were the likelihood that LGBT elders may not have family to care for them and the invisibility of older LGBT people. In working with LGBT older clients, we should be aware of and open to the different experiences they may be having (and certainly will have gone through in their lives). This article was originally written on The Huffington Post by Robert Espinoza, the Seniored------ Director of Public Policy and Communications of Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE).

I know this does not have to do with anything we covered in Phys Dys. But I just wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of the advantages of joining AOTA. I think it is important for each of us to take part in this. I have had many tell me that our "fire" will die after a few years in the field, and being members of organizations will not be as important to us as it was as students. I want to challenge all of us, including myself, to break that stigma and make a difference. It has been an honor to be in class with all of you over the past three semesters, and you all have pushed me to become a better student and person. I feel we have a strong class, and all of you are very talented. Hopefully we will all stay in contact over the years, and who knows maybe even plan some reunions at the state/national conferences. I waited to post this until our assignment was almost over so I would not take up the feed. Take a second to make this commitment if you are a memeber, and if not think about joining. Thanks!

Okay, I know this isn't related to this semester, but it was so interesting and so intense I thought I'd post it here anyway. It's about what they discovered in Robin Williams' autopsy, which is a type of dementia that I had not heard of but we all should be aware of.

I am finding myself more interested in cardiopulmonary care as my grandma was in the hospital over 5 weeks and received NO occupational therapy. I think it would be beneficial to spread awareness that this is in fact within our scope of practice. This is a brief description of how OT can be involved as part of a treatment team within a hospital. It is just one example of how and who all is involved in care of cardiac/lung patients at a hospital.

A very interesting article about OT and treatment of burns. In her case OT started after the patient was stable and able to do therapy every day. She states that the healing process can take years for the patient. Scar care, compression therapy, skin lubrication, splinting, ROM, and strengthening were all discussed. It was noted that scar tissue and adhesions are very painful. A very important point was the planning for discharge and taking in all aspects of independence.

This is an excellent article detailing OT's involvement in the treatment of burns. Different settings and invention techniques are outlined. Great resource for anyone working with burns.

This article gives information about the cycle of treatment (entering acute rehab, compression therapy, skin lubrication, splinting, ROM, strengthening & conditioning, and planning for discharge) for burn patients in acute rehab.

this was a good instructional video for taking a clients blood pressure. I found it interesting that the stethoscope actually has an off position that you need to be aware of, I did not realize that.

This is a really good video on how to take blood pressure. If you need to brush up on it, I would advice viewing this. It is a good one to reference back to if you don't take blood pressure often and need a review.