OT's can make anything possible

One of my FAVORITE things about being an OT is creating.  I get to look at things that work for a general population and make it work for a specific person with a specific need.  Not many people get to do that on a daily basis.  Over the years I have been able to modify things to make it work for people. Now, not all of my creations work for everyone, nor does everyone need them.  But, that is what is so fantastic.  Take this picture for example... The T-Rex's main inability was that his poor little arms were too short for his massive body and head. Give him a reacher and look what he would have been able to accomplish!  

 

Now, some of my creations are not all that exciting or fancy, but they have worked to allow my resident/client achieve something.  Whether it was making an adaptation to allow a client with no mobility below C4 able to activate his call bell (a wireless doorbell) with a simple turn of his head, a client bilateral shoulder fracture a way to immobilize her humerus and still feed herself (she was so excited she cried).  Or drilling into wheelchair to allow for better positioning of a head rest rather than buying another, ridiculously expensive chair.  While these are small things, I am excited that this is a part of my daily work routine.  Since I am a gypsy and move around a lot, I tend to get strange looks from new co-workers when I get on one of my kicks, but, that is just me :)  

Below is a picture of the B shoulder immobilizer I threw together. What you cannot see is how I  had to label it so that anyone could put it on.  It worked like a charm.  :)  

Creating a Safe Home for the Elderly

Another The Nurse Mommy Cross post.

Disclosure: I was contacted by Mountainside Medical Equipment to share some information about safety in the home (originally posted on The Nurse Mommy blog), medical supplies for the elderly, and provide suggestions of equipment that may help make home safer for those at risk of falls and review their site, in no way does that change my opinion on the topic presented below. Being that my mother is 70 years old and I have experience working with the elderly, I to share my thoughts on the topic, and hopefully help some of you that may have elderly parents or grandparents that are at risk of falls.


As an Occupational Therapist, I've worked in a few different areas of practice. Currently, I work mainly with the pediatric population, but occasionally I will work with adult patients. I’ve had referrals for people who are under the state of Arizona’s Division for Developmental Disabilities who aren’t children; they’ve been a part of the program for a majority of their lives. As people with disabilities age, their needs change, their bodies change, even their caregivers’ needs change. They need to be able to safely care for the person, so they can live in their home, as long as possible.

Before my current position, I worked for a Physical Rehabilitation facility and an Acute Care Hospital. The Physical Rehabilitation facility emphasized helping people return to their highest possible level of function, and most importantly, returning to their home or a family member’s home. The Acute Care Hospital was a regional hospital that took in a lot of people from smaller rural hospitals that couldn't provide their needed level of care. It also had a large Orthopedic unit, with lots of joint replacements and shoulder surgeries, as well as a well-known Cardiac program, doing all kinds of cool open heart surgeries.

Did you know that 1 in3 people ages 65+ have falls? Falls are one of the leading causes for hospitalization/emergency room visits in people over 65 years of age- and this is something that can and should be prevented at all costs! Also, having a frank discussion about safety prior to getting hurt is another way to address possible equipment needs and prevent injuries and hospitalization.

Continue reading... HERE

Tactile defensiveness and sensory play

On my other blog, The Nurse Mommy, I received an Arts and Crafts Activity box for review called the Ooey Gooey Car Wash from Tmuffin.













I considered posting my therapy portion of the review here, but I figured I'd rather link the original post instead. Go check it out: Ooey Gooey Activity Box Therapy Fun.

~Michelle

Holistic Therapy

I came across this interesting article about "Holistic Occupational Therapy" and wanted to share.

For years, OTs have incorporated many holistic therapies into their practices, such as relaxation, guided imagery, sensory integration, myofascial release, music and listening therapy, art therapy, movement therapy, t'ai chi, hippotherapy and aromatherapy. Such holistic interventions are in line with the theory and scope of OT practice as seen in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework.⁵ Further, AOTA asserts that CAM may be used responsibly by occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants as part of a comprehensive approach to enhance engagement in occupation by people, organizations and populations to promote their health and participation in life.⁶
Holistic occupational therapy could be implemented throughout all stages in life. It can begin by teaching lifelong skills to children, be expanded to address the middle adult years to help individuals stay well longer, and to older generations to have more sense of hope that the end of life can be more pleasurable. 

My question is, isn't OT a holistic profession? Aren't we trained to look at the entire person? Their ENTIRE life? Not just their development, their range of motion, their functional status- but everything that makes them who they are?

Leave me your thoughts- Do you step back and look past the basics and look at the whole person?

That "Traveler" OT

Intro - My name is Meghan.   I am an occupational therapist and a certified athletic trainer, although right now I am focusing on my OT while I am living the life of a gypsy. I am a twenty something year old who has   moved somewhere between 16-20 times (you lose track every now and again).  As of right now I stick with a job for 13-26 weeks.  When I graduated school I had a plan that I wanted to live in 4 different states in 2 years.  Sad story... I have only lived in 3 and my two years is up in a little over a month (CRAZY! I swear, I just graduated!)  Life as a traveler can be stressful, lonely, wonderful, liberating, and has taught me so much from so many different types of people.  I may not always get to work with my favorite population, but I strongly feel that I am a very well rounded therapist from getting exposed to so much.

I got my B.S. in Athletic Training from the University of North Fl and I got my Masters in OT from the University of St. Augustine. I was a competitive swimmer through my freshman year in college. And "home" is and always will be, Chicago :)

That's all for now.  I will start posting more in depth and random things as time goes on to give you more insight into life as a gypsy, why I chose it, perks/disappointments and will be more than happy to answer and random questions as they come.

That Occupational Therapist!

Welcome to my blog! I am THAT Occupational Therapist! 

What does that mean?
Whatever it needs to be. As an occupational therapist, sometimes I'm a motivator, sometimes I'm a ball-buster, sometimes I'm your friend, confidant, even your counsel. We wear many hats, it just depends on who our patients need today.

I love what I do and want to share that with the world!

So here's our blog. We want to share our stories and educate you on occupational therapy. Our mission is to share treatment ideas, talk about practice issues and maybe help a couple students along the way. Have a question? Shoot us an email!

We are hoping to have multiple writers contribute to this blog- that way, you can have insights to different therapists among different practice areas.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride! Thanks for stopping by!