RSCC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

"Getting old doesn't have to be a drag, if you keep these simple facts in mind." Thought this was cute and to funny not to share. I meant to post it a couple of days ago, but I only put it on fb and forgot to add it to here! Enjoy : )

Cadey, I can't stop laughing! That was awesome!

This organization meshes senior living with computer technology individualized for seniors. This is a cool idea and incorporates physical exercises in the system as well as social and cognitive stimulation. I believe it's a great innovative way to keep the aging mind stimulated and in touch with family and friends.

This was a very interesting article I read regarding a mind controlled bionic leg. The article is from 2013. It stated that there has been mind controlled bionic arms available for a while now. To date, only one man is testing the mind controlled bionic leg. He says he can walk, go up steps, etc just by thinking about the action taken. There is a very short video of him walking with it. Pretty amazing!

I thought this was a very informative article regarding hip replacement surgery. The article lists reasons for a hip replacement surgery. The article goes into a fair amount of information about the surgery itself. What to expect after surgery, complications that may arise and how to care for yourself after the surgery. The article has pictures, and because I am a visual learner, I liked the pictures.

We are a little past the ergonomics topic, but I wanted to share this because blog was written by a doctor at the office my mom works at. She runs the website and was telling me about it so wanted to share the info!

Bed Rail Entrapment Statistics Today there are about 2.5 million hospital and nursing home beds in use in the United States. Between 1985 and January 1, 2009, 803 incidents of patients* caught, trapped, entangled, or strangled in beds with rails were reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

What can OT do for a person with a hip fracture or hip replacement? More info in the full post. Don't count on the pt. to remember, as you may not have done a full cognitive eval yet, and it may have slipped even a very intact person's mind after the anesthesia.

Physical restraint reduction was associated with significant reduction in average length of stay in convalescent medical wards, especially in the cognitively impaired patients.

Abstract: Four hundred twenty-one consecutive patients admitted to an acute general medical ward and two acute rehabilitation medical wards were studied to...

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.

CarFit is a community based program that sponsors events (as a collaborative effort between AOTA, AAA, and AARP) with the purpose of inspecting the older driver in their own vehicle. "trained technicians and/or health professionals work with each participant to ensure they "fit" their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety". It takes about 20 mins after which recommendations for adjustments and adaptations are provided. The website provides FAQs and videos with a lot of information pertaining to the older driver and driver safety. Those of you interested in driving rehab may be interested in participating in an event such as this as a COTA in the future.

I thought this article described ergonomics in the workplace very well, along with being short and to the point. I would recommend it to someone who had not heard of the term before and just wanted to get an overall better understanding of it, without doing a lot of research.

I really thought this article was interesting and thought I would share it with you all. It's about understanding the natural changes that come with aging and what we can do to improve these issues. I also think that reading this, other individuals see that these issues that they are having themselves are common and they are not alone. I think that helps them to see a different light about it and they are able to accept these problems more easily,

I just found these facts, not sure how accurate they are but since we are talking about aging I found them pretty neat. One of the facts that stood out to me was that there was a study that shows people are happiest in early 20's and then again in 70's and 80's.. It states the reason is because by that age we have built social and emotional instincts that keep us from worrying about little things.

Since we have been talking about aging in place, checl out some of these latest gadgets. I always thought of it as remodeling your home and being comfy in your home. There is so much more to it. Check out these gadgets. Everything from monitoring sleeping habits to knowing how many times a day you brush your teeth.

Reduced mobility has "profound social, psychological, and physical consequences." Some simple tests and questions can indicate a senior person's level of mobility.

This was written for college students with disabilities as a resource for instructors. It can be used for any age classroom. It covers the areas that are difficult to students with mobility issues or other disabilities and how to interact. A number of devices are listed that can be helpful. I really thought the list of injuries or diseases and their characteristics that will be of importance was great to include. A nice resource for the classroom.

Neurological Disorders Many illnesses target the nervous system, affecting mobility, speech and skill, just as in stroke. Rehabilitation plays a key role in providing treatment and improving symptoms. Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct research across the country to study neurological disorders.

This article talks about independent aging and living at home for as long as possible is always preferable to residing in a rest home, where you are away from what is familiar and existing in a hospital-like environment. But, you may have some natural fears to being home alone, just in case something happens. Just thought this article tied in to the upcoming home assessments

Note- in order to view this article online, you must be a member of AOTA. This article talks about how different people may define the word "home" differently and how that definition can impact someone's ability to safely "age-in-place" and how a person's home environment can impact a person's engagement in meaningful occupations.