inside erica's crazy creative world

Hey bloggers! Today I will be talking about functional and community mobility, in relation to the hierarchy for restoring bed mobility skills in clients as OTs. The hierarchy for restoring bed mobility skills (least to greatest confidence) is: bed mobility, mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation for ADL, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility, and community mobility and driving.  The hierarchy of skill building for bed mobility is based on increasing activity demands of each task and illustrates the sequence for intervention planning.  Initially, I didn't really understand the order or sequence of the skills; or why they were placed in the hierarchy like they were. As I was reading about restoring functional and community mobility, it became more clear. We discussed in class that "mobility = controlled  instability". This means that a body is easier to move when the base of suppor...

Hey bloggers! Today I will be discussing the importance of appropriately "fitting" your clients for assistive devices.  It is important to appropriately "fit" your clients for use of an assistive device that is specific for his or her needs.  It is important for the following reasons: 1. T aking  precautionary measures in order to ensure the health and safety of all people. This can be done to prevent injuries due to falls; specifically for aging adults. It is also aids in the prevention of abrasions, contusions, lacerations, etc.  2. To aid in balance, strength, and stability  3. To increase safety and security  4. To decrease pain the client may be experiencing; or even prevent pain from occurring in the future. How would an OT accomplish this for the following ambulation aids (assistive devices)? Canes: [less stability than walkers] standard: one leg wide based quad cane (WBQC): increases stability when someone has de...

Hey bloggers! Today I'm going to talk to you about the importance of having proper posture and good body mechanics. Body mechanics - the way one moves the body, spine, and extremities during every day activities to protect the body; especially the back, from pain and injury - is important to teach to clients. Good body mechanics refers to proper posture and body alignment when lifting or moving, and can prove to be even more beneficial to clients who have faulty posture and poor body mechanics. (R&T, 2014, p. 841)  Why is it important to teach clients how to maintain proper posture and good body mechanics? (R&T, 2014) 1. muscular and skeletal balance       - to prevent further pain and strain on the back 2. minimizes risk of injury or progressive deformity        -to prevent injuries from occurring at work, or while performing ADL's      -to help protect the spine, as well as other structures (i.e. discs...

Hey bloggers! I recently read the story, Man from the South . I will be sharing with you today my thoughts on how the daily occupations of the better's wife may be affected due to her missing three fingers; as well as modifications that may help her regain her independence in the occupation. Let's say that the wife in Man from the South was a school teacher, specifically an art teacher, who educates young children. As an art teacher, she would need to have the ability to write, paint, hold things, etc. If she is missing three fingers on her dominant hand, she will not be able to hold things as effectively, nor will she be able to write or paint clearly either. She would need to have decent precision grip strength while painting or using certain tools in art class; not to mention while writing with a pencil or pen on a white board, chalk board, or piece of paper. Her occupations of daily life would be completely affected because she is missing three fingers, and only has her...

Hey bloggers! I recently learned about the occupational therapist's role in health promotion, health literacy, and prevention. Two topics that stuck out to me that I wanted to further talk about today was health literacy and prevention. Health Literacy:  Yes, many people can't afford to buy healthy food items; but, this is not always the case. In some cases, people aren't capable of making better decisions about their health for themselves; they have poor health literacy. Health literacy is the extent at which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. It is dependent on the following: communication skills of people and professionals; knowledge of health topics by people and professionals; culture; healthcare and public health systems demands; and situational/contextual demands. Prevention:  Preventative measures consists of interventions that aim to reduce risks o...

Hey bloggers! Today I'm going to talk about the shoulder complex in kinematics. The clavicle, scapula, and humerus function together as a kinetic chain to produce functional upper extremity movement. Each joint contributes to the total motion, so a much larger range of motion is produced than if each joint worked individually. During shoulder abduction (overhead elevation of the arm), there is a relationship of movement that exists between the humerus and the scapula. The collaborative movement between the humerus and the scapula is referred to as the scapulohumeral rhythm . This movement is achieved when, beyond 30 degrees of abduction or 60 degrees of flexion (little scapular movement), for every 3 degrees of shoulder elevation, 2 degrees occurs at the glenohumeral (GH) joint and 1 degree results from the scapulothoracic (ST) joint upward rotation. The amount of humeral movement maintains a ratio of movement with the scapula of 2:1. Therefore, a full 180 degrees of motion dur...

Hey bloggers! I recently listened to a podcast called Glass Half Full - Occupational Therapy Talk , where they discussed the OT's role in diabetes management. I found this topic to be really interesting because I have two family members who were diagnosed with the disease; my grandfather (William Robinson - type 2) and my cousin (Bria Beene - type 1). Although the podcast addressed type 2 diabetes specifically, clients with type 1 diabetes can benefit as well. Bria Beene "I have diabetes... it doesn't have me." OT's can educate clients with what to expect and how to manage their diabetes. Some people are afraid to ask questions when talking to healthcare professionals; or some people may even forget what they wanted to ask. It is important for the OT to explain to clients that it is okay to ask questions. Successful management of chronic diseases can also be dependent on a consistent routine. OT's can help in being conscientious in working with the ...