Group items tagged

We talked about thermostatic splints today in class. Thermostatic splints are lighter, can be removed for cleaning, and can easily be molded to the client's body. This page shows the different types of thermostatic splints that are available, and what the cost would be. The splints are not cheap, but if the client will need the splint for a long period of time it could be a cost effective option.

This article from AOTA really hit home with me. My mom had a stem cell transplant in November of 2012, and it saved her life. Your immune system is severely compromised during a stem cell transplant, and because of that she had limited access to people, and places outside the hospital. My mom is an adult, and she had a hard time with the limited social interaction, so I can only imagine how hard it is for a child to go through a stem cell transplant and be able to play with their peers at school or at a playground. I know a lot of us will not deal with cases as severe as a stem cell transplant, but it is still encouraging to know that occupational therapy can help. The therapist in the article worked with the kids to make sure they did not develop muscle weakness, or lose ROM while they were in the hospital. This article really made me appreciate the holistic care that OT provides, regardless of your age.

I wouldn't say that any of us feel "stuck", but I know we all start to feel stressed out towards the end of the semester. The author of this article, Joy Springer, gives some great attempts on ways to make it through. I needed to read the tips in this article, and I hope it helps some of you as well. We can do it, and we are here to support each other :)

Here is a combination of stroller and wheelchair. They refer to it as Stroller adapted elderly wheelchair being used by grand-parents to increase the time spent with their grandchild.

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 is a company that provides sexual surrogacy (the topic that Tyler brought up in our class) and resources for those with disabilities to explore and fulfill their sexual needs. This is obviously not a light topic of discussion and some may take offense with what this company offers, but it is a conversation that is worth discussing. Individuals with disabilities may have a harder time understanding and exploring their sexuality. Society has a tendency to desexualize those with disabilities because it is not a topic that most people are comfortable discussing and families/caregivers might even infantilize those that they care for because of their level of dependence.

Here is a list of ways that you can educate your patient on how to conserve energy throughout the day.

This is a great handout to keep in our tool box. The majority of patient's these days need to be able to conserve energy while they heal. In our fast paced society it is hard for people to slow down. EC techniques are useful for our clients and ourselves at times.

This article discusses how cell phone OVER usage lead to pain and soreness in our hand,wrist, and fingers. I know personally my right thumb hurts all the time and if I am on my phone a lot throughout the day it starts to have a small shake, I know the reason is from my phone. This article also has a video with some good information as well!

How cool are these bean bags?? They would be great to use in a classroom during story time, or at home while the child is watching a movie. The bean bags look very comfortable, and they provide the deep pressure children with ASD and SPD crave.

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 article discusses the ways that cold therapy can not only be used as a modality for healing but also recovery of muscle after working out. Thermal modalities can benefit people from all walks of life and diagnoses that range from extreme to everyday soreness and breakdown of muscle. Discussed are full cold water immersion, contrast therapy, and using swimming as recovery.

I don't know if anyone follows blogs, but I came across this and wanted to share! I have found blogs to be very helpful and this one especially because this particular post on this blog refers to other blogs that have all kinds of good info pertaining to OT. If you have time save it or check it out! Blogs are awesome! ;)

You may not believe it if I told you to grab some tissues to watch a hip surgery video, but this one will get you! For my much younger classmates, Mary Lou Retton was an Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics. She was fun to watch and she had a bouncy, energetic personality to match. She was on the Wheaties box and was just one of those wholesome, American pie type figures for a long time. In this segment, Mary Lou explains her battle with hip dysplasia (her hips were "like plastic" she says, but she did not know this growing up) and her decision to have hip surgery. This video helps future practitioners see the big picture of health, therapy, and life.

I remember Mary Lou!! Thank you for finding this!

So we have learned that hospice is for people who have limited time left, and this video describes hospice a little bit more than what was mentioned in class. The one thing that stuck out to me was the part that life in hospice is not about quantity, but instead it is about quality!

I like this link cause it gives us a visual on how the exercises should be performed. Its also a great video to recommend to COPD pts. Often times our clients may forget what we taught them during their session this link would be great for them to refer back to.

Visual Learner alert! Here is a great video demonstrating the box and blocks test with an actual pt. I loved watching this particular video because the pt is funny and gives the therapist a hard time(which will happen in real life!). If you like to watch videos of the tests we are learning watch this one!

This is a video on one of the assessments we will be doing next week to test hand coordination.

When a person experiences a tendon injury in the hand that affects the ability to flex or extend the hand properly and in a safe way, he or she likely will have a difficult time completing everyday tasks, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, using the bathroom, and attending to chores at home and at work. This could be a wonderful handout to someone who has had surgery or experiencing these same issues.

Here is an example of an OT using the transfer technique I was educated on by the PTA during the mock clinicals. It states in the video that this was her first time getting up since her surgery. I wonder if having the patients on their side right after surgery in frowned upon. I am going to look for more resources about this. From everything I have found, this is the best way to go if they are able to use their upper body.

So this is a more broad link but I love it! It shows multiple jokes about stress that should actually make you laugh! It is the middle of the semester now and I feel like we could all use a good laugh and some stress relief! So why not both at the same time?? Just take a look!