My Occupational Therapy Blog

When preparing for the mock interview, I first reviewed my resume and refreshed my memory on my various experiences, achievements, and goals. From there I practiced answering common interview questions and choosing what questions I would ask post interview. Participating in the interview was helpful especially gaining practice in a low stakes setting and receiving constructive feedback. Something that I can improve on is making eye contact. The interviewer shared with me that initially I appeared to be looking “past her” but eventually began making eye contact as the interview progressed. Eye contact and body position is something I will continue to work on and stay more aware of. Although this wasn't mentioned, I also need to continue to stay aware of the rate of which I speak. I have a tendency to talk fast and have to work to slow down when I am answering interview questions.  According to the interviewer, my answers to her questions were “spot on”. That was really enc...

When thinking about aging adults, it is not uncommon for society as a whole to assume that sex and sexuality is not an important part of an older adult’s day to day life. However, our guest lecturer today proved that assumption to be a myth. Based on statistics she shared, sex and sexual health is an important and integral part of an older adult’s life. Some key takeaway points include physical issues adults will face as they age and how it changes their sexual responses. This includes but is not limited to hardening of arteries and high blood pressure which affects blood flow. Also, cancer treatments along with other medications can cause fatigue, depression, and loss of libido. And finally, arthritis, weakened muscles, and limited range of motion can limit positioning. How and why would an occupational therapist address sexual health in the aging adult population? First, sex is an occupation that statistics show is very meaningful to older adults. There are many things occu...

     Community mobility is an important aspect of an individual’s life. Today’s guest lecturer is a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist and really opened my eyes to how occupational therapists can work with clients to regain their ability to navigate their community through driving. What stood out to me was the countless ways you can adapt a vehicle in order to make driving accessible. This includes adapting the gas pedals into hand controls or installing a lift in the back to easily load an electric scooter. Another aspect of his lecture that struck me was the clinical judgement skills an occupational therapist must develop to screen clients before moving to the driving assessment. You must be a skilled clinician to observe your client and ask questions that will serve as your guide to whether they are safe behind the wheel. You may assess their cognition including process skills, judgement, or memory to be impaired and deem it unsafe to continue...

      One thing that initially drew me to the field of occupational therapy is the holistic approach to patient care. I love how the practitioner considers the whole person and their needs to participate in the things they find most meaningful. Last week we had guest speaker lecture on the importance of nutrition for the aging adult population. One thing that stood out to me was the statistics presented about how many aging adults are living in poverty and as risk for being undernourishment. The speaker also lectured about the importance of nutrition for wound healing and overall recovery.      Occupational Therapy can support the work of nutritionists and help their clients in a variety of ways that promote nutritional intake. One such intervention includes working with clients to be independent with meal preparation. This could look like working  to improve their balance and strength for cooking tasks. You could also host a cooking class at a local ...

At the beginning of my occupational therapy master’s program, a professor instructed us to create a self-portrait of a leader by answering questions and following prompts to draw certain shapes and items based on our beliefs of leadership. Now, we are second years and the same professor instructed us to complete the activity one more and compare how our portraits have changed or stayed the same. Mine surprisingly came out to look almost exactly the same. My views of leadership and leaders in occupational therapy have relatively stayed the same based on the prompts. I still believe that leadership is a trait that can be both inborn and nurtured. Some are born with traits that make for great leaders and continue to grow them, while others work to develop the traits they are lacking. I also still believe that all occupational therapists are leaders. A therapist may not be a manager or an administrator, but he or she is daily guiding and leading patients towards their goals. Finally...

For my fourth and final neuro note, I chose to view a video about a young lady who told her story and experience with Myasthenia Gravis. I chose this video because I wanted more exposure and understanding about this diagnosis from someone’s personal experience. Kristen opens the video by explaining that Myasthenia Gravis means “grave muscle disease” and includes two types: ocular myasthenia and generalized myasthenia. Kristen was diagnosed with ocular myasthenia gravis when she turned 11 which manifested itself as droopy eyelids and double vision. She goes on to explain that it very quickly spread to her body and included weakness in muscles and difficulty with breathing. She reports that it took many months to diagnose. Upon diagnosis, doctors prescribed Kristen medication and eventually she underwent a thymectomy. She explains the thymus is believed to be related to the onset and could lead to a remission. She did in fact experience a remission and complete the rest of her sc...

                For the media project, I was assigned the case study about a woman named Susan who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The case study informed me that her mobility status was worsening and she was experiencing muscle weakness and fatigue. As an occupational therapy student, I knew I wanted to first focus on what activities were meaningful to Susan and how I could help her continue to engage in occupations as her disease progresses. One activity that Susan enjoys is playing cards with friends and family. Due to her limited mobility, weakness, and the progressive nature of ALS, I knew playing cards was an appropriate activity for my intervention and also determined that adaptive equipment would be very beneficial for Susan.   I decided to create the “Playing Card Holder” as my adaptive equipment from my assigned object, note cards, in order to address her muscle weakness so ...

     “Alex’s Journey with ALS” is a tribute video by   Marissa Coriell   to her husband, Alex,   who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 2013 and passed just two short years later. It was clear throughout the video that his “clinical carrot” or motivation was his faith. He knew this wasn’t the end for him and his belief that he would be healed was what motivated him to continue to be joyful and live life with purpose despite his devastating disease.       At the beginning of the video, Marissa documents his first symptoms which were difficulty with walking, speaking, and completing self-care tasks such as shaving. As the disease progresses, Alex is confined to a wheel chair, loses muscle tone and strength in his arms, and begins receiving nutrition through a feeding tube.     Marissa also filmed Alex engaging in several occupations that he found meaningful since the onset of ALS.   Blogging was one of th...

       "Inside the O'Briens" is a novel that follows the O'Brien family as they cope with their father's recent diagnosis with Huntington's disease and their genetic disposition to the disease. When a parent is diagnosed with Huntington's disease, their children each have a 50/50 chance of inheriting the disease as well. In reflecting on this book, what stuck out to me the most was how this disease affects each member of the family in such different and complex ways. Joe is having to accept the new diagnosis, cope with the realization that his mother also died from disease rather than alcohol, and cope with how his progressive and death will affect his family emotionally and financially. His kids are mourning the impending progression of this disease they will witness in their father while simultaneously questioning everything about their own lives if and when they learn they are carriers. Their is heartbreak, resentment, loss, guilt, and many other ...

    In order to further my understanding about Huntington’s disease, I listened to a podcast from “This American Life” titled “What Are You Doing for the Test of Your Life". The podcast opens with a woman named Kelly who is waiting on a genetic test that will let her know if she has the gene for Huntington’s disease. The podcast goes on to explain that Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder. Kelly is the youngest of 6 sisters. Their mother had Huntington’s which gives each of them a 50% chance of also getting diagnosed with the disease. Two of her sisters are currently showing signs.      Kelly recorded her experience of getting tested on an audio diary in which she shares on the podcast.   She first interviews her sister who is showing signs. Her sister, Kathy, is in her 40’s and talks about how she finds herself not remembering how to do things, not being able to get to the bathroom fast enough, and also struggling to find the words t...

The Model of Occupational Self Efficacy is a model of practice theory that is divided into different stages surrounding a client's traumatic brain injury. The first stage involves  helping a client work towards accepting the limitations created by traumatic brain injury. The therapist will also review the resources and rehabilitation available to the client. The second stage is where the client engages in the intervention process seeking to increase their occupational participation. Stage 3 is where a client can improve their knowledge of a variety of things including medical precautions, use of assistive devices, and workplace adaption. Finally, stage 4 involves the client continuing to accept their condition and return to daily routine such as work or roles within their family. This process is aimed to develop self efficacy.    This theory is designed to be used with an adolescent, adult, or elderly population. The functional aspect of this theory includes increasing...

       In lecture, I have found spinal cord injuries and their physiology fascinating. At the same time,   I have also realized how devastating they can be when a person loses their ability to use a large part of their body. One reason I chose to watch “Jillian’s Spinal Cord Story” is because I really enjoy the learning process that comes from hearing person’s account of their experience with that injury.   I am much more likely to retain the physiology or therapy practices when I can connect it back to someone’s story and the emotions and connection that come with that.         Jillian is a young adult who sustained a T4 spinal injury when she fell backwards off a third story balcony. She spoke about the initial fears of losing the ability to drive, not being able to be in a relationship, or missing out on attending concerts with friends. However, she spoke about choosing to be “strong” for her parents and embraced the challenge ...