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Print out our checklist to use with your patients to help them develop individual stress management strategies. Click here to print now! Stress is a commonly under-recognized, untreated dimension of recovery, rehabilitation and medical intervention. While all patients seeking medical care experience stress, for individuals with disabilities the dynamics are not the same.

The checklist Richard mentioned is a great resource! Thanks Richard. I plan on using this in the future. :)

Great article about how to help our patients with chronic conditions manage stress that impacts their daily activities.  Personal stories of stress management coping skills and how to help our clients identify their personal triggers. This article has some great questions for patients to ask themselves when identifying their personal stress management techniques.

I have a huge problem with being able to delegate tasks and then I get so stressed out because I have 30 million things to do in a day. - This article talks about how we need to learn to delegate things and if we don't ever do it, the responsibilities are going to bog you down. It also talks about 3 ways to learn how to delegate in order to 'master' the process. I think this is a very handy tool that will get rid of some of the unnecessary stress!

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).

My supervisor during last semester's fieldwork told me that she had seen people wait up to a year to obtain funding for devices they desperately needed to improve their quality of life. This was due mostly to red tape and hoops you must jump through to obtain these funds. I feel it is extremely important to familiarize ourselves with all of the available resources in order to expedite this process.

I know someone has posted about palliative care, but I wasn't sure of the difference between palliative and hospice. So, I began to research it and it made sense to me as to why it is better to get palliative care. It also said that it helps to increase the survival rate by 3 months. Also, here is another link to shows you the difference of each. http://www.stcam.com/hospice/palliative-vs-hospice/

This youtube video by Markerbot and Robohand shows how two men use a 3D printer to design and make prosthetic hands.  The 3D printer allowed them to make cost effective mechanical hands for boys born without hands.  The mechanical hands work due to 'tenodesis grasp'.  The video specifies the need for an OT to strengthen the wrist for better use of the hand and a need for an OT to fit the gauntlet and hand cap.  Is this the future of prosthetics?  The possibilities of 3D printing are limitless when being used to make not only prosthetic hands but various adaptive equipment solutions for all populations.

Great video Kellie!

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 a neat interactive tool that you can use with senior (or any age) clients to help educate them about what safety hazards to watch out for and avoid in their home. It is a fun, visual way to show and tell the client about what to look for in the different rooms (living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom) in order to reduce the risk of falling. Something different besides a checklist.

just click on the "hidden hazards house" link to help Harold find the 26 hazards

This article describes our current education system of one that is inclusive to students of all abilities while at the same time struggling to find money to support students who need assistive technology to learn. There are a few technologies that can be used in the classroom that are a little cost or even free. Included are 8 tools that can be used by students with disabilities that can be used in the classroom or in online classes. A link was supplied that will help you find out exactly what is needed for the individual student and a group that helps provide technologies to students. Overall, a great resource.

Who would have thought a National Council on Aging! There are all kinds of resource linked to this sight. I can see how this could be a great resource for those who are aging or caring for those who are. If you scroll down to the section on "I want to stay healthy" you can click on a list of ways to "restart living." This section helps those who may need to re-evaluate their life and provides direction to encourage them to recognize that they still have something to live for

This is a great site for the older adult or caregiver to find numerous resources. From money management, transportation, job searches, fall preventions and much more. I know I will refer to it in my future practices and thought I would share.

Be approachable, open-minded and non-judgmental. This is a great checklist to read over before talking with your clients about sex. Included is how to provide an environment that the client feels safe speaking of sex, key areas that should be covered, some barriers that are faced by minority populations, and many reminders to be open minded, non-judgmental, and to keep your personal beliefs out of the discussion.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are 4 tools we can use to either cope with stress or reduce the stress. The 4 tools include Avoid, Alter, Accept, and Adapt. Each tool is explained and ways to use each tool are included. Stress can be good and bad. Knowing yourself and your environment and what causes your stress will help you deal with it. The tools are easy to follow and are a good reminder that in many situations we are in control.

These tools can be applied to all aspects of life and are easy to implement or have a client implement.

The National Association of Home Builders offers information on creating a safe, accessible home for those people wishing to age in place. As people get older many find it important to be in familiar surroundings. Included are questions the home owner should ask like what things are needed in the home in order to age safely. There is a checklist provided on how to choose a remodeler. Additional questions are included that the homeowner should consider asking in order to get exactly what they need. There are Certified Aging-in-Place specialists that are trained in this specific area.

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!

Do you get mad when you see someone with no handicapped tag zoom into a handicapped parking spot at Wal-Mart and then jog into the store? I do! I like this video because it explains the great details that go into making good, accessible handicapped parking. It also causes me to think, as an able bodied person, about how I park my vehicle and how I use public space. For instance, do I pull so far into a parking spot that the hood of my car extends over most of the sidewalk, making it difficult for people to get around my car? And how many of you have been aggravated to see that there is a nice h/c parking area, but there's no easy way to access the curb, except for a slope that's 30 feet away and forces the disabled person to travel through the parking lot to get to it? I doubt that we as OTAs will be outside measuring and inspecting the parking lots, but this video does give you some ideas about the challenges that disabled persons face when moving from place to place.

Beth, I am so glad you posted this. It is also important to realize that just because someone isn't walking with a cane or using a wheelchair that they don't have the "right" to use these spaces. If they were issued a handicap placard by their doctor their is a good reason. Invisible illness is just as real as ones you can see. This is a great video! Thank you.

There are several things in life that we as individuals must face, there is no way to avoid it and that is aging. As we age, some people prepare for it and others don't. This article offers information as to how to live healthier to help avoid the inevitable. It offers information on how to help avoid cancer, cardiovascular problems, and many others. And in our lives it may be inevitable that we get these problems, BUT we can sure start now to try to keep from getting them as we age.

This tool is to provide anyone that is blind an easy way to read brail out loud. I like this because it seems very easy to grasp, and you are able to roll it. Also, there is an optional bluetooth piece you can get with it to allows you to listen without disturbing anyone around you. You can use it to go at your own pace instead of scanning big chunks of words and having to listen to it however fast/slow the device allows.

"Getting old doesn't have to be a drag, if you keep these simple facts in mind." Thought this was cute and to funny not to share. I meant to post it a couple of days ago, but I only put it on fb and forgot to add it to here! Enjoy : )

Cadey, I can't stop laughing! That was awesome!

The Job Accommodation Network put this information together because the number of workers over 65 is going to increase dramatically as the baby boomers age. The benefits for hiring an older worker are listed as well as the laws protecting workers. This is a nice resource for those older workers to know what rights they have and what accommodations are even available. Some accommodations cover ADLs, weakness or fatigue, hearing limitations, vision limitations, psychological issues, to name a few. I thought it was really helpful that a few situations were presented with possible solutions. Also, for the consumer, is a link to products for accommodation options.

Updated August 20, 2014 15:22:57 Sean Fitzgerald worked hard to rebuild his life after breaking his neck in a mountain bike accident 14 years ago. For five hours after the crash, before medical help arrived, his then-partner and a passing stranger kept him alive with their breath.

If you skim through the article, please pay special attention to the last paragraph. I loved how Mr. Fitzgerald stated that being able to work and do something meaningful was important to his psyche. Assistive devices are what allowed him to continue to be productive after becoming physically disabled. As we have been taught, having something meaningful to do is key to having a positive outcome regardless of the level of disability.