This is a link to an awesome website for The Fontana Center.  The Fontana Center is a center for work rehabilitation.  It is owned and run by an OTR and also hires COTAs, massage therapy, and fitness experts.  This place is very holistic.  It offers seminars and workshops on ergonomics and preventing work place injury.  It also prescreens employees for companies to make sure their candidate can handle the physical aspects of the job that they are applying for…this saves the company lots of money in the long run.  The facility offers functional capacity evaluations and work hardening programs.  It also has fitness classes including water aerobics/therapy, yoga, and even classes for seniors.  This is great for fall prevention! I love this place…I wonder how many places like this exist in the US?

This story of Jacob LaFerriere, a burn victim gives back to his community and gives back by giving motivation to kids who have been burned.  I like this video because it shows him working with an occupational therapist and doing fun rehab activities.

This is an interesting association called Adaptive Design Association that works with PT, OT, and parents to help make your own adaptive equipment out of cardboard and other resources.  You can design specific and client centered equipment that is very cost effective.     Truly amazing!

This is the amputee coalition website. What an amazing resource for patients, families, and therapist. This website provides current research, peer support, and even has detailed discussion about how to deal with phantom pain. Great website and resource!

Awesome TEDtalk by Todd Kuiken about Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (the future of UE prothesis). This is a much watch video about the future of UE prosthesis. Targeted Muscle Reinnervation is an intuitive way to use hand and elbow prothesis with your thoughts. This is a better way to control your arm and grasp patterns. And hopefully in the future this technology will allow its users to 'feel' sensations in their prosthetic hand. Amanda, the patient talks about how the most important thing to her in working with children was the ability to clap again. Great video! Very informative.

Here is a great collection of info graphic pins on ergonomics and how to prevent carpal tunnel. There is also an info graphic on stretches you can do at work. This is a great resource to share with clients who understand pictures better than instruction. Pins about OT- Ergonomics hand-picked by Pinner Ali Gottfried | See more about carpal tunnel, improve posture and computers.

This article talks about Innappropriate Patient Sexual Behavior and how to deal with it in a very assertive way. It says to never ignore the problem and to always handle it in a very assertive yet non threatening way. The most important comment that to take away is: "Patient behavior is about the patient and NOT about YOU" - this is good to remember in all patient scenarios. Vol. 23 *Issue 20 * Page 40 Inappropriate Patient Sexual Behavior Part II: Choosing appropriate responses This is the second article in a two-part series on understanding and handling inappropriate patient sexual behavior in the health care setting. Part one appeared in the Sept.

This is a great list of energy conservation tips ideas for patients. I thought this was a great reference list since we were discussing cardiopulmonary patients who really need to learn about energy conservation. This breaks down the ideas into: Rearrange Your Environment, Elminate Unneccessary Effort, Planning Ahead, and Priortizing. This is a great reference list for energy conservation.

This is a great reference chart for MET levels.   It divides it up into self care, household, recreational, and vocational activities.  This is a great reference to see what ADLs and IADLs have MET levels from light all the way up to very heavy MET levels.

This is a great resource that is short and concise to help therapist incorporate their patients in the transfer process.  Safe transfers is about good positioning but it is also about have clear communication with the patient.  I like the sample phrases within this article aimed  at having better communication with the patient.  Communication that the patient can understand is crucial to the transfer process.

This is an awesome video narrated by an OT student who is a paraplegia.  Nicole gives a look into the adaptive equipment she uses to get around in her daily occupations.  This video shows car adaptations, standing machine, wheelchair cushions, and how she travels via airplane and taxi.  Nicole gives a good explanation of these devices.

This short article discusses that scientist have discovered a new region of the brain that controls a person's motivation.  The tiny region, the dorsal medial habenula has been discovered to control the desire to exercise in mice.  This discovery can have huge implications in the way we treat mental illness.

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.

This is a current (2013) piece by PBS that talks about how seniors can 'age in place' in their home by being in touch with programs that come together to help each other with ADLs and IADLs. For example, the Capital Hill Village is a group of seniors who work together to make sure they are all taken care of in their home. This means that someone can volunteer to count pills, garden, or even take them to the doctor. The most important benefit of this group seems to be the social relationships and connecting with people. As OTAs we need to educate oursleves on what type of community programs are available so we can educate the elderly on how to more safely and soically age in place. Also, at the end of the clip it talks about home assessments and how everyone needs a plan for aging!

Great infographic on the long term effects of stress on the body. Infographics are easy to read for all populations of patients and they can be an easier way to communicate with diverse patients especially if there is a language barrier.

This article list ergonomic risk factors of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). As occupational therapy practitioners we should focus on the following areas: highly repetitive tasks, static exertion, forceful exertions, localized mechanical stress, awkward postures, temperature exposure, and vibration (article has description of all of these). Prevention and early management are key to avoiding CTDs.

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.