Group items tagged

As we talk about community mobility, I thought about this change Disney is making. An interesting read if you are thinking about taking a disabled person to Disney.

I really thought this article was interesting and thought I would share it with you all. It's about understanding the natural changes that come with aging and what we can do to improve these issues. I also think that reading this, other individuals see that these issues that they are having themselves are common and they are not alone. I think that helps them to see a different light about it and they are able to accept these problems more easily,

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 really like charts. I just posted one above. Thank you!

Very handy! I had thought about posting a small chart and think I will now! Thanks Beth

I found this really great website that described what visitability is, who it is for, and some statistics that show how badly homes need to meet the visitability requirement. The page I specifically bookmarked is what really stood out to me, it is an interview with Eleanor Smith, the Founder of "Concrete Change" and the U.S. visitability movement. Please take time to read her story of growing up with a disability and how difficult it was for her when her friends and families houses were not accessible to her, and what she decided to do about it.

Bear with me on the title and intention of this article. There are a lot if implications here for the future of OT as well. These are exciting times we are living in.

This video follows a contractor around a house as he shows changes they have made for an aging adult.

Great ideas on this video, Tiffany! I am very much in favor or either making nursing homes much less institutional or helping people stay in their homes longer. I feel as if there are a lot of advances and changing attitudes on this topic. Some of the universal designs that are shown, I would like to have them now! Never mind on waiting to get them when I'm old. Least path of resistance, I say. LOL

Stress management Occupational therapists aim to assist their clients to achieve stress reduction and improve occupational performance through evidence-based and practical interventions. Research has shown that stress and anxiety management strategies improve quality of life during stressful life experiences such as adjusting to changed life roles (e.g. parenthood or illness).

When facing potential stressors, the way we view what we're experiencing can exacerbate our stress--or minimize it! Reframing is a time-honored, psychologist-recommended method of looking at things in ways that create less stress and promote a greater sense of peace and control. Learn more about reframing techniques for stress management.

Discover how the WalkAide changed the life of Davy (stroke survivor) by enabling him to effectively manage his Foot Drop. WalkAide is a sophisticated FDA cleared medical device that uses advanced tilt-sensor technology to analyze the movement of your leg.

Tells what normal changes and causes are

This webpage is a resource page in which provides the reader information regarding an individual's personal experience with COPD. I like that she up lifts the reader to encourage changing the negative thinking of "this is not a death sentence" etc. It answers questions as what the individual may be experiencing and offers resources to help people with COPD to be successful and an advocate in their treatments.

I found this article, from 1998, that compared the "responsiveness" of the FIM and the Barthel Index in patients with MS and patients who had experienced stroke. The authors state that "he aim of this study is to compare the appropriateness and responsiveness of the BI and the FIM in patients with multiple sclerosis and stroke patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation."

As we age, our needs and interests evolve and change, so our choices of housing should be wide ranging, as should be the spectrum of activities and services. Most older adults wish to remain in their homes and communities as they age.

I chose this article because when I was at Keystone, an adult day program in Oak Ridge, I saw the benefit of this program in allowing seniors with physical and cognitive deficits to remain at home, or in assisted living, for longer periods of time. I liked this article's emphasis on integration of many programs to age in place successfully.

A mix of events and speakers and fun will come together next week on the University of Tennessee campus. It's part of Disability Week. (WBIR-Downtown) A mix of events and speakers and fun will come together next week on the University of Tennessee campus. It's part of Disability Week.

This may be old news from almost a year ago, but i found this on the Vanderbilt website about how Dr. Michael Goldfarb has been working on robotic legs that emulates healthy limbs. It explains his research and his building of these legs. I found in the article that Dr. Goldfarb was also named one of the top 10 innovators who changed the world in 2013 for developing an exoskeleton that allows paraplegics to stand up and walk.

This video is very informative on compensatory strategies for people with low vision. The speaker discusses how little changes to an object make a huge difference for the person. The strategies do not involve a lot of money, but rather give you ideas how to use the resources around you. Occupational therapy could use these strategies for about any age group that may have low vision, or difficulties focusing on objects. The thing I like most is that these ideas would be helpful for people who may not have insurance, or a lot of income in general.

This short video shows how a prosthetic hand is made from a 3D printer. At the TNOTA Conference last year, a presenter described the impact of 3D printing on manufacturing in general and on OT interventions specifically. Prosthetics can now be much more customized to the needs of the patient, more aesthetically appealing, quicker to make, and much less expensive. The possibilities of use of 3D printing with disabled individuals are nearly limitless.

One of my husband's co-workers has a 3-D printer. Those things are changing our world! I love this!

This is realy neat Beth! I like that is is much less expensive and I actually think these look less like prothetics and more on the advanced robotic side. With practice a person could make alot of heads turn in a curious way when out in public with one of these 3D devices!

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.

Findings are showing that even so-called mild concussion has long-lasting effects, including anxiety, personality changes and even Parkinson-like symptoms in older adults.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of static resting splints in an early RA population. The study hypothesis was that there would be a difference in the change of hand function after 12 months in patients with early RA who received standardized occupational therapy plus static resting splints compared with standardized occupational therapy alone.