RSCC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

This article has some insights about gay/bi/trans people and aging that many of us may not have thought about. Two that particularly stood out for me were the likelihood that LGBT elders may not have family to care for them and the invisibility of older LGBT people. In working with LGBT older clients, we should be aware of and open to the different experiences they may be having (and certainly will have gone through in their lives). This article was originally written on The Huffington Post by Robert Espinoza, the Seniored------ Director of Public Policy and Communications of Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE).

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.

Being a man, I often think that if I suffered from a disability that left me dependent on others I might feel a bit 'less than' and this article discusses a study that covers the topic of emasculation in males who are dependent on caregivers. Sexuality is a big part of most people's life and just because someone suffers from a disability doesn't mean that they cease to exist as a sexual being. The article also discusses how the approach to social care is typically asexual and that this approach can come across as patronizing, dismissive, and even disrespectful to a client's sexuality.

This article addresses the fact that just because you may be paralyzed does not mean your libido and need for sexual expression changes. It also goes on the talk about orgasms and how women can achieve a "normal orgasm", breast health, and birth control.

I am not sure I like that fact that they refer to sexual abilities be less affected in women with SCI than men. In my opinion it is a tad sexist and biased. Aside from that this article contains some information that would be helpful to be aware of going into to working with clients with SCI.

Ok, I admit when I watch this special guy on the stress video Teri posted I couldn't help but think about his life and how things clicked for him? I looked a few more of his vidoes and found he was married and is a very sexual little person. So, I wanted to share what I found. :)

That's great!!!!

A meaningful word form Shawn Stephenson about not being a prisoner of predictions or even your own thoughts.

My good friend Ragi Doggweiler is a researcher and practicing physician in this field. Once located right here in Knoxville she has moved back to her homeland of Switzerland. We have often had conversations about what PT's could do for this population but until I revisited this paper I had not thought of the under-utilization of OT practitioners in this area. While PT can and does work on the physical aspects of these issues OT would greatly enhance the treatments in so many ways.

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!

Excuse some of the expletives in this article but I found it to be share-worthy. This is a Q&A article with five women who have had some sort of physical disability impact their lives. They are asked candid questions about how their disability affects their sexuality. I feel like looking back at this source will help me feel more comfortable speaking about sexuality with a client.

After reading about desensitization I was interested in learning more and, lo and behold, our favorite Amputee OT had a great video on the topic! She talks about the importance of massage, tapping, and using different types of fabric to help with hypersensitivity (desensitization) of the residual limb. She also touches on some exercises that are used to help prepare a residual limb for weight-bearing during use of prosthesis.

This peer-reviewed article deals with a study, in which the efficacy of sexual rehabilitation services was examined. Twelve individuals with SCI injury participated in the study. The result was that the majority of the participants were discontent with the quantity and the content of the services provided.

This is a short, easy to read article that would be a helpful resource for patients. Individuals with MS have many symptoms; one of the most common is fatigue. Suggestions about position and time of day may help persons have more fulfilling sex lives. Many of the ideas given in the article are very similar to the alternatives identified in chapter 16 of the Early text.

If you are working at a drive thru window in Nevada, it is really possible that a car could pull up and have no one inside it. No, it's not a ghost car, but a driverless car, which is actually road legal in that state. This bookmark is a website by BMWi listing new innovations in technology that could benefit disabled persons. Even if some of the products never become widely used, the technologies from them could be put to use in a variety of other ways. The website reads a bit like a commercial, but it still gives you an idea of how technology, adaptive equipment, and the needs of disabled people are converging.

Amputation Specific Goals Some of the standards of care are specific to the amputation itself, and others are more concerned with the general health and well-being of the patient. The following are areas of concern specific to the amputation itself: A. Prevention of contractures is necessary at both the hip and the knee.

This article covers almost any topic you could possibly think of as related to goals for a person that has had a lower extremity amputation. They are labeled A-L, but G is what really stood out to me personally. Section G talks about emotional care and how individualized it can be. There are several suggestions as to how to address emotional care after an amputation.

This article is full of helpful information for post stroke patients. it address several potential difficulties and ways to avoid them such as, taking breaks, knowing side effects of medications you are taking and what effects they may have on your sexual performance, experimenting to see what techniques or positions work best for you and more

Head injury refers to trauma to the head. This may or may not include injury to the brain. This is really good to go to that gives you a visual on Closed Head injuries (CHI). This allowed a much better understanding of what actually happens.

We could all use a little help with our documentation right? Found this link on pinterest with some great resources to help with our wording in our documentation. We want to sound professional and educated so we get billed right? This really helped me out some!

Awesome resource, thanks for posting. Documentation is something I have to pick up speed with and being able to use the right wording helps cut down my thesaurus time lol.

This helps, this is an area I am struggling with this semester!