RSCC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

A super short video I took last year at the AOTA conference that I thought was amazing! (as you can tell from my loud mouth reaction) This assistive technology gives the ultimate form of independence!

This is an article that discusses aging in place. It goes into specific detail about what OTs do and their involvement with aging in place. It also talk about CAPs (Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist) and the role they take on with aging in place. I found it to be pretty interesting on this subject.

A short step by step video of a handyman walking through a home and describing modifications needed to make it wheelchair friendly :) He does a great job of showing why what is already there needs to be modified. It points out things most of us wouldn't think of as being an issue.

This article discusses interventions that are used on a patient who has suffered from a stroke. The article also includes his FIM scores in several areas and where he needs to be in order to be discharged. It is nice seeing that in context now that we know what the scores mean.

Originally, I was looking for an article about aging in place but during my search I came across an article, "How Pinterest Can Teach you About Universal Design". Almost everyone is familiar with Pinterest and this article talks about resourceful Pinterest can be. There is a pinner named Claudine Casabonne who shares a bunch of information on universal design. She states that the "goal is inclusive design, which doesn't need adaptation". I thought this was pretty interesting. Following her on Pinterest might come in handy if we ever take our careers in this direction.

Since we are all students, I thought I'd research some tips for us on how to manage stress! One thing I struggle with is my anxiety with exams. I tend to focus so much of my time on studying and worrying whether or not I'm going to pass a test or not. I found that I need to make more time for myself, relax and let my brain breath. This article gives some wonderful tips on surviving exams: how to organize your notes and schedule time to study, rest and relaxation, and how to handle stress on exam day.

iPads and other technology "touch devices" are a wonderful new tool and may benefit children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) greatly. This is a really cool resource for trying to get an iPad funded for your child or student!

Imagine being house-bound with little to no hope of getting out of the house again. Imagine losing your freedom and missing the long road on the back of a motorcycle. Now imagine being able to ride a motorcycle again with adaptations made so that you can do so independently. Here is one man's story about how he dug himself up out of depression post diagnosis. This is how he regained some of his independence.

Since we are learning about EADL this week I wanted to share this article. As I was reading this it surprised me that one of the smartest men on earth had trouble using the software device. The article pointed out that this 72 year old (Stephen Hawking) did not grow up using an iphone etc. That is something to think about when treating clients of all ages. I love that Hawking had a group of people working on this project for him and with him. He is able to communicate with the use of one muscle in his face. Read on to see how they are working on picking up on his brain waves to help him communicate. FASCINATING!

When we think about aging in place, or at least when I do, we think about the home. I found this article really interesting because it discusses the driving and mobility in the neighborhood aspect. Driving gives people independence, feelings of freedom, and the ability to participate in meaningful occupations and social roles. This is so important to being able to live life to the fullest!

This chart is great,not only does it give you quite a few stress relief techniques, but it breaks it down to your senses! I have found that this chart really comes in handy on the really bad stressful days. The best way to use it is to try and pick something from each section(or sense) and do it! You will find that completing stress relief mechanisms in all your senses is extremely helpful!

I found this really great website that described what visitability is, who it is for, and some statistics that show how badly homes need to meet the visitability requirement. The page I specifically bookmarked is what really stood out to me, it is an interview with Eleanor Smith, the Founder of "Concrete Change" and the U.S. visitability movement. Please take time to read her story of growing up with a disability and how difficult it was for her when her friends and families houses were not accessible to her, and what she decided to do about it.

I thought this was a nice video on what occupational therapy is and what areas it covers as a holistic approach.

This is an excellent visual to go along with the discussion about the Six-Dimension Wellness Wheel in Chapter 11 of the Early Book.

I thought this was an interesting read on the AOTA website regarding ergonomics because it discusses how an OT practitioner would actually be involved in this line of work.

I posted this with my stepdad in mind. He is retired now and has hip isssues along with a distal biscep tendon rupture last fall. Everytime he goes golfing now, he comes home sore and disheartened by being retired and not being able to enjoy his golf game. So for all you men and women that love the golf game, here is the correct way to swing!

This is a handy-dandy chart of a variety of assessments that OTs can use to help determine a patient's functional limitations and how those limitations may change over time. According to fairly new rules related to Medicare, OTs and other therapists must now include a G-code which helps documents changes in patients and gives Medicare decision making abilities about the patient's future services. Originally I was looking for the use of the Barthel Index in OT settings when I found this chart and recognized some of the other assessments as well. If you are especially interested in working with older patients, this chart could be helpful.

I really like charts. I just posted one above. Thank you!

Very handy! I had thought about posting a small chart and think I will now! Thanks Beth

I found this an interesting run down of the treatment of a humeral fracture and how Occupational Therapy plays such an important role in the recovery process.

This is an article on the stand up desk Teri mentioned in class the other day. My fiancés place of work is giving the employees the option of having one of these as well and he opted to try it out. He says he can tell a difference in back pain when he stands vs. sitting, I assume it is because he is using better posture while standing. Since it was mentioned in class and he is using it I wanted to see if I could find other benefits to using a stand up desk while at work. I found this article explaining more benefits of using the stand up desk and I found it to be a very interesting read, and wishing I would have had this option at my desk job before I started school.

I like the format and content of this article. The format is a chart that is easily readable and useful for both the new therapist starting out and a handy guide to give a patient. It is educational in that it reminds and teaches in a clear concise way. There are many tips for home safety and energy conservation. Enjoy!