RSCC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Although we follow Ergonomics, work injuries can be caused by stress. This article is written by an OT that is also a Certified Hand Therapist. Some of Her clients tell her that their injuries started due to stress. She pin point 4 Interventions for 4 phases of stress. She also list 6 ways employers can make the work place be less stressful. I believe this article is a great resource for realizing stress may cause lots of difficulties but also encourages when we fell stressed, we need to think about these 4 intervention.

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.

This article gives us helpful tips on how to manage stress while we are in college. It also tells us that stress can lead to serious health problems ( autoimmune illnesses, depression and anxiety). Its explains how to watch for signs and symptoms of stress and how to avoid to be overwhelmed. In article we can find how to manage our time while we are in college and different techniques to help us calm down ( meditation, breathing exercises and yoga).

The article is about seven different states of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Its touch occupational wellness as well, explains how to achieve a balance between work and leisure time. Its describes how to be able accept our feelings, rather than deny them, how to take on challenges, and recognize conflicts.

Although we discussed work space ergonomics, I came across this tip sheet for carrying a purse/backpack. These tips are not only useful for us as students, but are also good strategies to recommend to our future clients.

I found these tips for maintaining health and wellness for college students. Although some of these tips won't apply to clients, I think that applying some of these techniques in our own lives could potentially help us all to become better focused on learning. We have to take care of our own bodies in order to be able to treat clients.

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 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 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.

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!

These 10 fun ways to reduce cortisol levels are achievable by most anyone. Lissa has even created and provided a free self healing kit if any of these activities, particularly if you find it hard to sit still and be quiet, are difficult. I like the fact that each activity is very accessible and for the most part cost free. For example, laughter, try to win a stare down and not laugh. Or...listen to someone else laugh, that will get you every time... And it's FREE!!! This lady also provides some pretty cool TED talks, adding science to the topic.

I am sharing this article as a reminder of how important bone health is. This article shares information about how much calcium adults and children need and the importance of calcium and other vitamins and minerals for healthy bones. Eating healthy and exercise is essential in promoting healthy bones. We as COTA's will be treating clients of all ages and I feel it is necessary for us to understnd and educate when we can on bone health. Understanding a lifestyle of eating healthy and knowing what damages our bones is important. Education and being proactive on bone health may prevent us and our clients from distress in our future.

I decided to share this article as I was unaware that there is a specific group to help farmers continue to live and work independently. In the rural area I live in, this information will definitely be needed. Many of the physical disabilities I witnessed in nursing homes and in outpatient settings were direct results of farming injuries. As well, farmers are very self-sufficient and their self worth is based mostly on their ability to maintain their lifestyle.

I like to share this website because there are a lot of powerful tips on how to prevent injuries and chronic pain from daily activities such as self phone use, carrying purse, briefcase, work on the computer, etc.

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!

Here is a room-by-room checklist of steps you can take if someone in your family is impacted by a lasting injury, disability or age-related physical challenges. Many of these improvements will also make your home safer and more comfortable for able-bodied residents and guests alike, as well as potentially increase its value.

This article provides a checklist for making a home accessible. It begins with simple solutions for ensuring safety and also recommends contacting someone that has a Certified Aging in Place Specialization (CAPS) that can help design the home to meet visibility and universal design. I think it will be important for us to be skilled in assessing a clients home to help enable them to age in place.

This is a website that states the laws and codes of public accessibility. It is a great resource for businesses small or large to go to and see what is expected of them to become accessible to all public consumers. It also gets you to thinking about just how some buildings can become 100% accessible and the expense of it, but the need is there for so many to maintain a healthy and social lifestyle.

This webpage offers information as to the benefits of aging in place. I didn't realize how cost effective it is to age in place rather than going to an assisted living or nursing home. Not only the accessibility of the home but also the technology that would need to be learned for the homeowner to receive the care and emergency help when needed.

This is a tip sheet I discovered on the AOTA website.  It provides very useful tips for helping your older parent remain at home and age in place safely, as well as ways to approach the topic with them.  I really loved the idea of presenting home modifications as gifts. This tip sheet is of particular interest to me as my mother slowly descends into the world of Alzheimer's disease.

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.