RSCC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

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).

This is a short but sweet video on how to use a gait belt. I noticed in lab that it could get confusing on knowing hand placement once the belt was on the "patient."

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.

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!

Service animals can not only provide practical needs for their owners, but love and emotional support as well. I know a few things about service dogs, but I know very little about capuchin monkeys as service animals. In this short video, a trainer explains how the monkeys are prepared for service, the many tasks they can help with, and how the animal is placed with a client. Having a capuchin come to your house puts a whole new twist on the idea of a home evaluation!

Last year when Dennis (injured hang-gliding) visited our lab and when we watched the video of Charlie Croteau, I thought one of the most interesting topics they mentioned was how to travel on airlines with a wheelchair. Both men emphasized the importance of the items you need to take with you onto the plane and the space restrictions you could anticipate. I was also interested in how the wheelchair could be disassembled into a very compact space. This website is aimed toward those who may be traveling with a wheelchair and offers practical advice such as labeling your w/c parts and requesting assistance at airports.

I know we are past aging in place by a little bit, but I came across this again and wanted to share! A really interesting outlook on aging in place in a mock village for dementia patients. The patients live on site in their own apartments which they are aided in managing independently. The town has everything from grocery stores to movie theaters. Nursing staff dress in plain clothes to give the environment a "real-life" feel and encourage patients to operate on their own schedule. This is currently in the Netherlands, but how cool would it be to have OT's work in something like this!

I have become increasingly interested in the topic if research lately. This article does a good job of showing how some simply misrepresent data and leads me to believe more in looking for the source of the research as well as the personal interest the researcher may have on the subject. Research and the source of it can give us a lot of information. Not all research is reliable though.

I meant to share this a while ago. This site lists 7 ipad aps that you can purchase for AAC. The prices range from $7.99 to $189 plus the cost of the actually ipad. I still think it's relatively cheaper compared to some of the other AAC devices we've looked at.

I have known people with COPD and to be honest, I never really knew exactly what it was. I just knew that they had it because they smoke. (The people who I knew) This link provides a look into what this disease does to someone emotionally, as well as physically. How sad to have to grieve just as if you have lost a loved one. This disease can cause you to have anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and problems with sex and intimacy. Sex is an ADL! So much more to this disease than I every knew.

My husband and I met in a rock climbing class in North Carolina. Imagine my excitemen,t as a future COTA, when I got an email from our very own River Sports Outfitters advertising this! Their motto is "Catalyst Sports is dedicated to providing adaptive climbing opportunities to anyone with a physical disability." How cool is this???? I can't wait to volunteer!

Inspiring website, and I had no idea this group existed. I like how they reach out to our veterans. I climbed the rock wall inside the Natahala Outdoor Center in Gatlinburg a few years ago. It was hard as able bodied-- I can't imagine doing it with a disability, yet people do!

This lady is great! She is an amputee OT! She gives a great personal perspective as well as clinical perspective. In this video she walks us through different kinds of shrinkers, how to apply, her opinions on them, etc. Such a unique view!

Great explanation of how and why to wear shrinkers. I like her teaching style and her humor.

Glad I'm not the only one who subscribed to her. I saw her videos a while back when I was searching for prosthesis information. She is apparently originally from TN as well!

This app looks like it may be able to replace some pricier or cumbersome options for low vision..

This is a short video showing a little boy get a functional prosthetic arm. It transforms his life and what he is able to do. The part I like most is that it is an OT who is training him to use it!!! The OT works on bilateral hand involvement so that he may engage in play like other boys his age.

I know I keep posting little kids with prosthetics but they are so inspirational. In class yesterday, Teri was talking about "fit to sit" meaning that the best time to introduce a child to a prosthetic device is when they are around 6 months old (when they begin sitting unsupported and are involving their hands to reach). This short video is a great example of a family who did this with their daughter. She is very active and doesn't let her missing arm affect her life.

I pulled this from the AOTA website, you must log in to view. I thought this article reaffirms what we have been discussing in class about the role of the OT practitioner in treating patients with COPD. Our main focus is energy conservation (which may include task simplification, deep breathing techniques, and implementing adaptive equipment). This article is not very long and provides a nice WHY we are doing what we are doing.

This short video shows simple, but effective ways to successfully protect one's hand joints. The ideas shown in this video could be helpful for anyone, however, while watching this video I specifically thought of people who have JRA/RA. These compensatory strategies could allow a person to have their independence longer. Furthermore, I always love to be educated on easier ways of doing activities and in the video it shows ideas for using a shelf liner. I believe this video is fantastic for supporting safe ways of doing one's ADL/IADL's.

This video gives a lot of good ideas for protecting your hand joints. I've noticed that going to the grocery store requires a lot of pushing, pulling, lifting, and manipulating with the wrists, hands, and fingers. My hands are really small, and I've started to pay more attention to what I'm asking them to do. Like, when opening a door, I use more of my body to push it open then just ramming my hand on the push bar.

I thought this video was great for what has been being discussed in class between THP and safe transferring in/out of a vehicle. There are a few things mentioned in the video that I would have not considered for a THP, so I felt that others' may benefit from this as well. This video provides an example of how to educate a patient on the different precautions. I felt like this was important because OTA's are holistic and being able to transport safely from place to place is a very important factor.

I love this lady! She is an OTA who has a lower extremity amputation and allows the viewer to see the real life struggles in a first person point of view. She gives good advice for safe showering/bathing and points out different ways for different people. Lastly, this video will help home health OTA's to know what an amputee may need to make life easier (stand up shower vs. bathtub).

This is so funny! Love the cat! Good, practical info too.