HP becomes an OT

Reading Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova has been extremely beneficial to my learning process in Neurological Aspects of Occupational Performance. It has given me an insight to the impact that a diagnosis may have on an individual’s relationships. It is important and interesting to learn about the symptoms and treatments of each neurological disorder. However, as occupational therapists it is essential to think beyond just symptoms and treatments because we use a holistic, client-centered approach. Inside the O’Briens is a good reminder of all the “behind the scenes” emotions and conversations that unfold when an individual receives a diagnosis such as Huntington’s disease. While the story of the O’Briens is fictional, it is realistic and unfolds in a way that makes the reader think about how this would affect any family. The conversations that took place in this story gave me a deeper understanding of Huntington’s Disease, the process of being tested for the inherited ge...

For this Neuro Note I watched a YouTube video called “Alex’s ALS Journey.” This is a 15 minute video compiled of home videos taken mostly by Alex’s wife from when Alex was first diagnosed to when he passed away. It specifically stood out to me because it showed Alex doing activities of daily living (ADLs). I appreciated the insight into how hard a task, that many of us take for granted such as brushing our teeth, became for Alex. While the video had sweet & light hearted clips, it also showed the reality & struggles that come along with an ALS diagnosis. The video showed Alex’s wife caring for him every step of the way from dressing, to showering, to feeding him as the disease progressed. Alex began to blog to encourage other’s with ALS. However, soon after his fingers began to hurt too much to type and he lost the use of them. He began to type with his nose using an iPad in stead. When he was no longer able to use his nose, he used a device that tracked his eyes and blinkin...

The Model of Occupational Self Efficacy is a Model of Practice that works through a process of accepting the consequences and occupational limits that individuals may face after suffering a traumatic brain injury.  It can be used with adolescents, adults, and the elderly in a hospital, home, or workplace. The goal is to help alleviate any frustration, anger, and disappointment the client may experience in order to develop their self-efficacy beliefs. This model is made up of four stages: Stage 1: Strong Personal Belief in Functional Abilities Client may feel frustrated, demotivated, and angry because they can no longer participate in their daily life functions. The therapist will provide the client with opportunities for rehabilitation and resources. Stage 2: Use of Self Client may choose which opportunities they are specifically interested. They can then participate in the intervention process to increase their occupational participation. Stage 3: Creation of Competency...

I chose to watch the TED Talk "Tourette Does the Talking" because I understand what Tourette's can look like from the outside but wanted to learn more about what is happening (physically & mentally) on the inside. Thomas White is a senior at the University of Notre Dame and his talk is comical yet informative. He explains that Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder that is characterized by multiple physical and vocal tics that last for more than one year. It can entail tics such as echolalia (the repetition of certain words and phrases) or coprolalia (involuntarily cursing). Thomas describes a few uncomfortable stories in which he swears at his professor on the first day of class, fakes throwing up on young children, and grabs an old lady's butt all due to his Tourette Syndrome. He explains that while he doesn't necessarily enjoy the things that Tourette's causes him to do, he wants to convey that "a life can be had and a smile flashed" ...

I was excited to learn more about health promotion and literacy in our foundations class. While I had previously learned about the determinants of health (biology & genetics, individual behavior, social environment, physical environment, and health services), I found it really interesting to learn about the role of occupational therapy in health promotion. I learned that the presence of occupational therapists in hospitals has been shown to prevent readmission. This can probably be attributed to the way in which occupational therapists support an individual who is in the hospital in determining whether they are able to live safely independently, addressing their existing disability with assistive devices, and performing home safety assessments before they are discharged from the hospital. I was especially struck by one of the videos we discussed in which women who are in wheelchairs stated that they are screenable for mammograms. I learned that women who are in a wheelchair die f...