The following video from Thailand reminds us that it’s the little things we do that can make a big difference to someone else. And that by giving, we receive the best gifts in return.
Time to Reconnect With Nature
It’s officially spring and if the weather cooperates, it’s time to get outside and reap the benefits of fresh air, sunshine and the overall joys of being in nature. The natural world outside contains both physical and mental health benefits. The following from Best Health Magazine discusses how getting outside and enjoying nature can benefit you and your health.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
“Take these broken wings and learn to fly.”
“Blackbird” by The Beatles
Workplace Safety – Not Optional
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 2.34 million occupational fatalities every year across the globe. In Canada alone injury and illness at work continues to be a significant problem.
It is estimated that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) from working cost Canadian society upwards of $20 billion a year. Reports from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board in 2012 indicate that 43% of the claims were due to sprains and strains, 20% were due to low back injury and 19% were due to overexertion.
In Ontario, the Ministry of Labour enforces the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Occupational safety and health (OSH) is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. This Act explains the procedures for dealing with workplace hazards and allows the law to be enforced when workplaces have not adhered to the policies put in place.
Occupational therapists are experts at helping injured people to return to their jobs in modified or full capacities, or assist people to be retrained or find alternative forms of work if their previous occupation is no longer suitable. We conduct jobsite evaluations to outline the physical and cognitive work demands, assess the individual’s physical, cognitive and emotional preparedness to return, and often look at the ergonomics of their workstation or body positioning when doing the job. The overarching goal of all this is to ensure that people can return to work safely, can perform tasks independently, are productive, and to reduce the risk of re-injury. We also provide devices, education, organize work schedules and gradual return programs, and collaborate with employers, physicians and other health professionals to promote a successful outcome. With respect to prevention, we conduct workshops and provide education and training programs for employers and employees alike to promote health and safety while engaging in all work tasks.
April 28th is recognized as The World Day for Safety and Health at Work. It is held as an annual international campaign that seeks to promote safe, healthy and decent work environments. It also commemorates people who have had an accident or injury in the course of their job. It is important that we are all involved in this initiative – workplace safety should not be optional. Consider these four steps to make sure that health and safety are paramount in your organization:
- Get on board: You don’t have to be an owner or boss to be concerned about safety. Everyone is responsible for contributing to a safe workplace.
- Get in the know: Understand the hazards and risks at your own workplace.
- Get involved: If you see a hazard on the job, speak up and offer your insight and possible solutions.
- Get more help: All workers have the right to refuse work if they have reason to believe it is dangerous. Speak to a supervisor if you have concerns, or seek guidance from the Ontario Health and Safety Contact Centre at 1-877-202-0008.
Or, if you are off work due to injury or illness and need help returning, would like solutions to help you work more comfortably, or are concerned about the impact of your job on your physical, cognitive or emotional health, consider contacting an occupational therapist. We are here to help.
References
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. http://www.wsibstatistics.ca/asset_files/images/ByTheNumbers2012_S1_pg5.pdf
United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/events/safeworkday/
Ministry of Labour. https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/prevention/index.php
Ministry of Labour. https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pdf/workbook.pdf
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Emergency Preparedness Week: A Tale of Disaster and Preparedness
Disaster can strike at any time. While the size of these can vary, the one common denominator is that you never truly know when it will hit. The ice storm this past December took a toll on the GTA and Southwestern Ontario leaving some residents without power for more than a week – over Christmas! With the climate change we are experiencing, natural disasters are becoming more common. It is Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada and the Federal Government is reminding you and your family to create a plan and ensure you have an emergency kit prepared that will help ensure your survival for 72 hours. (www.getprepared.gc.ca) This kit should include the basics of:
- Water
- Non perishable foods
- Medical supplies (like bandages, alcohol wipes, gauze pads)
- Candles and matches
- Blankets and extra clothes
- Activity books and toys to entertain young children
- And don’t forget about the animals in your home—ensure you save food and water for them as well!
Last year, after the flooding in Toronto, we wrote about Emergency Preparedness and specifically how this relates to people with disabilities. Check this out here: Emergency Preparedness. Also, check out the you tube video which services as a fantastic reminder that disaster can strike at any point. Are you be prepared?
Daily Dose of Inspiration
“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible”.
Christopher Reeve
Life is a Terminal Disease – Palliative Care and Occupational Therapy
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
It was a life-changing experience. I was 19 and essentially never stopped. I had goals, drive, energy, and big plans for my future. I was a varsity athlete, had three jobs, was a full time university student, owned a student house, and had bought myself a dog. Knowing I wanted to work in healthcare, and after strongly connecting to some school courses in death and dying, I decided to pursue a volunteering opportunity at the local Hospice Society. This required a comprehensive training program followed by placement in the home of someone who had a terminal disease. My first (and only) placement was with a mom, age 37, who was dying of cancer. She had a 7 year old daughter and a husband who was also ill. I would attend their home once a week to spend time with the daughter, help to prepare meals, and would even assist with running errands and groceries. I provided emotional support and mentoring to a scared little girl, and was an extra set of hands for a dad and desperate husband. I was fortunate enough to be involved with the family for many years as the mother passed about a month after my wedding – four years after I met them. My husband and I tried to stay in touch with the daughter following, but dad really struggled and eventually his phone was disconnected.
The impact of this experience on me personally was huge. The things my parents had been telling me were true: “stop to smell the roses”, “don’t sweat the small stuff”, “make sure you have fun too”…I was intense and driven to the point of missing it. My experience in Hospice changed my outlook, my appreciation for my health, family and all those blessings that we take for granted daily.
Recognizing it is National Hospice Palliative Care Week, I wanted to showcase the role of Occupational Therapy in this challenging but
rewarding field. To do this, I reached out to a colleague who has spent many years practicing occupational therapy in palliative care settings. Her reflections are as follows:
What I have learned is that Palliative Care is not particularly a specific intervention but rather a perspective of care that can be provided in a multitude of settings where end of life is faced such as our homes, hospitals, hospices or long term care facilities.
The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association defines End-of-life care as aiming to relieve suffering and improve the quality of living while dying for persons diagnosed with an advanced or terminal illness or who are bereaved.
Who defines how the client is suffering (physically, emotionally, spiritually) or that what we as healthcare providers do is indeed improving quality of living while dying? In a truly client centered approach, it is the client or their substitute decision maker that determines this. A collaborative interprofessional team has the potential to honour the client’s hopes and decisions in an identified plan of care.
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists identifies various interventions in palliative care, based upon clinical setting, that the therapist can provide including addressing activities of daily living (ADLs), psychological and emotional issues (including stress and anxiety), exercise programs, splinting and positioning, energy conservation, relaxation techniques, seating and mobility, comfort, adaptive and assistive equipment, support and education for the family caregivers, connecting the client with community services and supports, and conducting home assessments.
What this can look like is, for example, providing mobility devices such as a walker or wheelchair to address declining physical abilities while maintaining engagement with family in a safe manner. Considerations also include provision of therapeutic surfaces whether on a bed, wheelchair or favourite recliner to help reduce the development of pressure ulcers once time spent sitting or lying in bed increases. It can be planning and preparing with the client and the team to assist the client attend a final function such as a family wedding where comfort, endurance and being relatively symptom free are the goals.
Ultimately, as roles in life are challenged due to losses with life limiting illnesses, the Occupational Therapist attempts to facilitate meaningful engagement that reflects a client’s goals in a dignified manner.
Carla Floriani, OT Reg Ont
I want to thank Carla for providing this insight and for guest-blogging on our site. Personally, I miss my volunteer work in Hospice but know that this is something I will eventually return to as it impacted me in a way I have not forgotten. The harsh reality is that life is a terminal disease – but we should not need to be given a deadline to act that way.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”
Helen Keller
Weekly Mind Bender
If you know me you’ll want to share me, but if you share me I’ll be gone. What am I?
A secret.