Neuro Note 2: Alex's ALS Journey
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...
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI too have not had a lot of experience working with the geriatric population so I am so glad you got to have this opportunity. Building relationships with clients is definitely something I've missed since being in OT school and I'm so jealous you had that opportunity. I can't wait to get to our Level II rotations and have that extra time to build relationships with clients and coworkers. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you had such a positive FW experience! I was in a SNF as well, so I had many similar experiences. Building relationships is such a special and unique opportunity in this setting, that you cannot always find in other settings. I found that to be a rose of my experiences as well, although I did not mention it in my debrief video. Also, we focused on splinting a lot in order to reduce contractures. It made me realize how equally as important it is to support maintenance and slowed progression as opposed to just focusing on progression. Thanks for sharing!