Group items tagged

A super short video I took last year at the AOTA conference that I thought was amazing! (as you can tell from my loud mouth reaction) This assistive technology gives the ultimate form of independence!

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.

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 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!

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.

This is to neat! Slow and steady is good, and getting some independence back in a very healthy thing for a person who is wheelchair bound.

On this link there are several people who give their opinion on being in a wheelchair and their personal life. The videos range from young to old.

Disability awareness in Dubai!

Carole V. Dodge, OT, CHT The Simple Tasks bent fork lapel pin. Osteoarthritis OA of the hand is one of the more frequent diagnoses seen in a hand clinic. The carpometacarpal CMC joint of the thumb and small joints of the digits are most commonly involved.

This chapter is concerned with the unique problems presented by the bilateral upper-limb amputee. Although it is generally recognized that the unilateral upper-limb amputee uses a prosthesis as an assist and the sound limb for sensory feedback and fine manipulatory activities, the bilateral amputee does not have such a choice.

Signal Strengthening An important goal following TMR is strengthening reinnervated muscles so they generate electrical signals that can be detected by surface electrodes. Strengthening the contraction of the transferred-nerve muscles before the fitting helps the patient develop the adequate endurance needed to proceed with TMR myoelectric prosthetic training.

"Hang on, I'm between heights right now," Scott Rigsby jokes as he transitions from his walking legs to his cycling legs for his part of a relay at the Events DC Nation's Triathlon on Sunday. Rigsby is the first double amputee using prosthetics to complete the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

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 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.

A lot of times, when people do not think an issue involves them, it is harder for to sympathize with those it does affect. This video showed me how this issue could just as easily involve me or someone I love deeply. As it has been said, "there but for the grace of God, go I."

Universal Design E-World provides web based tools to support the "community of practice" in universal design. This is a great resource to learn all about visitability. The website details the requirements of visitability in the home and how universal housing design benefits everyone, not just the disabled population. No step entrances and wide hallways make it easier for strollers, moving furniture in and out, etc. There are several PDF reports containing more information on topics relating to visitabiltiy that can be downloaded by the user. These include design approach, increasing home access and universal design in housing. I think that universal design is much more feasible and aesthetically pleasing than renovations to make a home more accessible.

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.

This is a tip sheet I discovered on the AOTA website.  It provides very useful tips for helping your older parent remain at home and age in place safely, as well as ways to approach the topic with them.  I really loved the idea of presenting home modifications as gifts. This tip sheet is of particular interest to me as my mother slowly descends into the world of Alzheimer's disease.

wanted to share this because it answers questions about billing for splinting, PAMs, and dysphagia treatment

Study conducted to look at the effectiveness of PAMs

watch this short video on classification and treatment of burns. This just reinforces what we are studying in Physical Disabilities right now. I thought this video had really good images of the layers of the skin as well as images of burns on the skin.