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Archive for category: Solutions For Living

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Trampoline Safety

Bouncing on a trampoline can be fun, provide great exercise and a way to burn off that never ending energy kids seem to have, but there are major dangers involved.  In fact, as cited in the following article from Oatley Vigmond, a Consumer Product Safety Review report found that there were nearly 110,000 American trampoline related injuries suffered in the year 2006 alone.  So how do you prevent these injuries?  The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests simply not to own, or allow your children to bounce on at home trampolines.  Read more in the following from Shane Henry of Oatley Vigmond and tell us what you think.

Oatley Vigmond:  Trampolines:  How Bouncing Can Become Dangerous 

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The Power of Self-Advocacy

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

Occupational therapists play an important role in helping people of all ages to function independently, to engage in meaningful activity, and to experience joy in life regardless of disability.  In this role, we are often in a position of advocate as we aim to help people achieve their most promising outcomes.  But even better than an OT swinging for the fences to help a client, are those clients that can metaphorically pick up the bat and hit it out of the park themselves.

Recently I read an article highlighting the power of self-advocacy.  The article spoke of a boy named Peter who has cerebral palsy.  Peter, as a result of reduced fine and gross motor control, was struggling to use the standard Play Station Controller.  He took it upon himself to email Sony’s support team to ask for help.  To his surprise, not only did he receive a response, but Sony’s team built and sent him a modified controller to use.  That is self-advocacy at work, and kudos to Sony for working with Peter to accommodate his needs.  (See the article here.)

Self-Advocacy

This story provides a great example of the power of self-advocacy. Self-advocacy refers to an individual’s ability to effectively communicate, convey or assert their own interests, desires, needs and rights. It’s the ability to speak up on your own behalf to ask for what you need.

Self advocacy skills can be broken down into 3 steps:

1.     Understanding your individual strengths and weaknesses,

2.     Knowing what supports or resources are available in order to succeed

3.     Communicating these needs to other people

Why is Self-Advocacy Important?

Self-advocacy is a vital part of being human and is a great skill to harness and utilize as it helps people to:

  •         Create solutions for challenges that they experience
  •         Develop independence and self-empowerment skills
  •         Ask for help and clarification
  •         Build self confidence
  •         Take risks and try new things
  •         Learn the benefits of effective communication
  •         Creates a sense of ownership, power and control over their situation and needs.

How Can OT’s help?

OT’s can assist in promoting self-advocacy in multiple ways.  First, OT’s recognize the importance of facilitating client independence and strive to help people to develop the confidence and skills to communicate their own needs and wants.  Often we can identify where people can be successful here, and where help might be needed.  We model appropriate advocacy behavior on behalf of our clients during interactions with other providers or stakeholders.  Or, when necessary, we advocate on a client’s behalf until they develop the skills to do this independently.

In the end, advocacy is becoming more and more important in the climate of restricted healthcare dollars.  So whether we are helping people access an important health service, to address a new problem, or sending an email to a major manufacturer about a video game console, assisting people to have a voice, or to develop a voice is a paramount part of great OT.

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Organization and Recovery From Brain Injury

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

Last stop for Brain Injury Awareness Month – my favorite topic – organization!

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Yes, this is my drawer system to store pens, pencils, and markers. And if I find a pencil in the pen drawer look out! Perhaps being organized and knowing how to find what I need when I need it is one of the many ways I manage the demands of being a business owner and mother of four. But the reality is that we all have different levels of energy, tolerance and mental attention and these things can become depleted after a brain injury. So, if you were an energizer bunny with a DD battery before your injury, chances are your new batteries have been replaced with some AAA’s. This means that daily activities will take more time, more energy, and you will need to recharge sooner. So, considering this, do you really want to spend your valuable energy looking for stuff?

Consider that you have 10 units of brain capacity and energy when you wake in the morning. Every activity you have on your “to do” list takes one unit. Going for a walk, preparing supper, managing the laundry, responding to emails, attending an appointment, completing personal care, and having coffee with a friend all drain your battery. Some of these activities are necessary, some can be put off, and others are enjoyable. So what if you spend one unit of energy looking for your phone, keys, that bill that needs to be paid, your agenda, or those new runners you bought yesterday? What activity will come off your list when you have spent your energy to find something that with some organization would have taken you no time at all? Maybe you will call your friend to cancel, or order supper in again. Maybe the laundry will wait to tomorrow, or those emails will just keep accumulating. But this is unnecessary because you had the energy and cognitive ability to manage these things, it just became misdirected.

Often the focus of occupational therapy becomes helping people to organize their activities, their stuff or their time. Schedules and consistency are keys to helping people to understand the size of their battery and the amount of units each activity takes. This can be difficult when working with clients who did not need to be organized before an injury or illness, but the necessity of this following cannot be ignored. Even small steps to help people to be more organized can have a huge impact.

Helping clients with brain injury to become more organized can take many forms, depending on the client, the nature of their problems, and how they previously organized their stuff and their time. What I tend to witness is the time lost and sheer frustration that clients experience looking for cell phones, wallets and keys. Often, cell phones become used as a “second brain” assisting people to maintain a schedule and make appointments (calendar), remember things (task lists), have access to support systems (contacts, calls, text, email), and negotiate their environment (maps and GPS). If this gadget is so important, it is even more important that people know where it is. Having a catch tray by the front door, in their room, or a standard docking station can be helpful. Wallets and keys should also be left in a consistent location. I am sure we can all relate to that feeling of looking for our keys in their usual spot to find they are missing. But if you lack the ability to efficiently look for these, it could completely derail your day.

After the day to day items have a place, then we can work to simplify other spaces that are identified barriers to function. Perhaps the kitchen has become too cluttered to allow for efficient meal preparation, or the bills are piling up because these are lost in a stack of papers. In the world of insurance I find that clients become overwhelmed by paperwork and this results in missed appointments, non-response to time sensitive material, or failure to submit for expense reimbursement. Slowly, over time and with suggestions and tools (filing cabinets, labels, folders, a pen drawer!) clients become able to more efficiently spend their units of energy on things that are more important, or more fun and ideally, learn to transfer these strategies into other life areas independently – like work, school or parenting.

Originally posted June 30 2014

To read more of our articles on brain injury check out our section on Brain Health.

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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer – Three Strategies to Make Your Business More Inclusive

Co-written by Jacquelyn Bonneville, Occupational Therapist and proud member of the LGBTQ community

Have you ever been on vacation to Jamaica, Dominica, or St. Lucia? Have you ever Googled pictures of the beautiful Maldives? Did you know that all of these countries, and some 70 others, have anti-homosexuality laws punishable by fine, imprisonment, or death? Globally we still have a long way to go, but like all progress, we must remain proud of the steps forward we are taking in regards for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) awareness and rights.

Pride month is celebrated in June in every year in honour of the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, USA; a turning point for LGBTQ activism. If you don’t identify with this culture you may not feel that pride month is relevant to you, however the spirit of pride month is to embrace diversity and peace, which all of us should celebrate, especially as proud Canadians.  This point, and the concept of peace, is even more prominent today considering the recent events in Orlando that resulted in the senseless killing of 49 innocent people as they attended a nightclub frequented by the LGBTQ community.

In honour of pride month, we’d like to offer 3 simple ways you can make your business more LGBTQ friendly:

1. Challenge your assumptions.

It can be easy to assume that everyone is straight; when you ask a man if he has a wife, or a woman if she has a husband, you could be unintentionally making an awkward scenario for a non-straight person. If you have an intake form that only has two gender options (male or female), you could be instantly excluding someone, or causing them to feel uncomfortable about your services.

As therapists we are often in a position of asking about our client’s social supports. Instead of making assumptions, ask more open-ended questions such as “Are you in relationship with someone right now”, “who is your main source of support”, or “do you have a significant other?” Have an “other” option for gender on intake forms, or include sex as well as gender if someone’s sexual organs are relevant to your medical field. Consider expanding “married” on your intake process to include “common law” and “long term relationship”.  You’ll still get the information you need, but in a more inclusive way.

2. Don’t be afraid you’ll use the wrong terminology.

My husband’s name is Kelly.  Many times people have assumed he would be female:  he has been put on the girls’ draw in tennis tournaments, rendered us to win the prize for the “ladies best foursome” in a golf event, and often our mail and solicitation calls are directed to Mrs. Kelly. We’ve all called someone by the wrong name / gender accidentally before. It’s embarrassing – usually they correct us, we apologize, and chances are you’ll never forget their name again. It happens, but in the grand scheme of things it isn’t a big deal.

Gay, lesbian, queer, bisexual, bigender, cisgender, gender fluid, asexual, feminine/masculine of center, intersex, MSM/WSM, pansexual, trans*, two-spirit, ze – what does it all mean? If you are not part of any particular minority group, it can be difficult to know if you’re wording something ‘correctly’ and it may make you uncomfortable. You may even be afraid to offend someone – isn’t ‘queer’ an offensive term? It all comes down to individual preference – and you won’t know until you ask.

Instead of assuming a person is Sir or Ma’am, Mr. or Mrs. based on your assumption of their gender, get used to asking more inclusive, generalized questions as part of your daily routine. There is nothing wrong with asking a client/patient, “What’s your preferred name?” or “How should I address you?” And if you slip and use the wrong pronoun or term in addressing them, simply apologize, correct yourself, and move on. Besides, a good businessperson should have a healthy dose of humility – your clients will respect you more for trying to use their preferred terminology, even if you make a mistake. Don’t worry.

3. Understand some of the systemic barriers LGBTQ persons may face in your system.

Knowledge of some of the challenges in your own business that directly affects persons of various sexual orientations and genders will only make your business more inclusive. Some questions that may be relevant to health care professions include: Can a bisexual person donate blood in your city? Is a transperson legally able to give emergency medical consent if their loved one is unconscious? Will a queer person be safe in a shared hospital room if their partner comes to visit them?

Health care isn’t as easily accessible as you may think. It can be very challenging to find competent medical and rehabilitation practitioners that are educated on health factors more common in certain minority populations, and so not all people feel they can be open with their family doctor or access health care without judgment. Knowledge is power – keep an eye out for changing laws, trends, or factors affecting the LGBTQ population in your area.

In the end, consider adopting some of these strategies into your everyday life, and you’ll be making maximum impact with minimal effort. To quote a Futurama cartoon episode:

“When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.”

No one may notice you changed your language, or thank you for making the change – but to that client who needs to know that they’re safe with you, I guarantee you that your choice of inclusive words will make all the difference.

As Occupational Therapists we are lucky to be able to assess our clients holistically, and to consider all of the factors that may be affecting their occupational performance including sexual orientation, gender, sex, and social support networks. We can constantly challenge our assumptions to help develop into even better practitioners.

Happy pride month!

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Concussion Ed– A Great New App

Do you know what to do if you or someone you love suffers a concussion?  First and foremost, visit your physician who will assess your injuries and provide you with a recovery plan.  To learn more download this fantastic resource, created by Parachute, which provides you with education and tools to help you prevent injury, recognize symptoms, keep track of your individual situation and help you recover from a concussion.

Parachute:  Concussion Ed

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Distracted Driving — Say “I Don’t”

Did you know that 40% of Acquired Brain Injuries are the result of an automobile accident?  And, that texting while driving is basically like driving with your eyes closed for 5 full seconds?  Distracted driving is a major cause of injury and fatalities on our roads.  What better way to celebrate Brain Injury Awareness month than to take the pledge today.  Say I Don’t to texting and driving by visiting idont.ca created by the Ontario Brain Injury Association.

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Brain Injury and Executive Functions – When the CEO is on Hiatus

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

Brain injury awareness month continues…this stop: Executive Functioning.

Simply defined, executive functions are the capacities we require to achieve a goal. These are commonly referred to as the “CEO” of the brain because they provide people with the higher order processes that allow us to plan, organize, initiate and complete tasks successfully.

Practically, think about the last time you moved. Moving, as an example, is a simple goal of just wanting to relocate from one place to another. The goal is not the problem: it is the processes and thinking required to manage the transition effectively that can be difficult. Several months before moving you are searching for a suitable place, weighing the pros and cons of each location, checking your budget. Then you make the decision of where to move and you need to deal with your existing location. When do you need to notify your landlord, or when should you list your house? Then, months and weeks before you move there are calls to make to utility companies, mail to redirect, insurance to organize, movers to book and packing to do. What belongings are you moving? What should be sold, donated, discarded? The day of the move is chaotic, stressful, and exhausting. Then for months after you continue to unpack, move things around, find ways to arrange and store your stuff.

Really, your level of executive functioning, or your ability to delegate and enlist support for your areas of weakness, will determine the outcome of your move. So now imagine that you have a brain injury and as a result you feel the same sense of stress, fatigue and frustration with more simple daily tasks, such as planning a meal, sorting your mail, or scheduling your time. This is often how people with brain injury feel on a regular basis.

So, what can occupational therapy do to help? Well, the treatment for executive dysfunction is both broad and simple. It is broad because everyone experiences brain injury differently, and comes into it with varying levels of recoverability. It is simple because it merely involves taking a goal and breaking this down into component parts, manageable chunks, and smaller tasks within the whole.

Returning to the moving example, as an OT, assisting someone who has executive dysfunction with a pending move may involve making checklists with tasks and timeframes, and checking on progress frequently. Personally, I like to take a project approach: calling the goal “Operation Move” and mapping out – start to finish – the metrics for success. Perhaps in month one an “apartment hunting worksheet” is created to help the client summarize all the places they are looking at, the pros / cons, address, and list of questions that need to be answered (price, utilities included, length of lease etc.). Often I encourage my clients to use a smartphone to take photos of the options then we cross reference these and catalogue them to keep things organized. From there, the process continues with checklists for calls to make, addresses to change, ways to organize packing and management of belongings. Ensuring the client is responsible for follow-up via “homework” between sessions and holding them accountable for completion of this aids to developing independence. Really, the therapeutic goal is far more than just ensuring the client is able to move successfully. Rather, it is demonstrating a model and method that can be used for any future transitions, goals or tasks. This ensures success that is transferrable to other events at later dates.

Often, the above strategies are also helpful for people with other forms of cognitive impairment – not just ABI, but could include stroke, dementia, or degenerative neurological conditions that impact how the brain organizes, processes and works through daily tasks. Ask an OT – we know stuff!

Originally posted June 2014
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Accessible Transportation

As the Uber debate rages on, it’s time to stop and think about a sometimes unaddressed transportation issue:  accessibility.  Ensuring that there’s equitable and accessible on-demand public transportation, via taxi and driver services, in every Ontario city is a vital need.  Learn more in the following from Spinal Cord Injury Ontario.

Spinal Cord Injury Ontario:  Fair and Equitable Transportation Vehicle-for Hire Services in Every City of Ontario

 

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Concussion Management 101

Concussions are serious and it is vital that anyone who has suffered this type of brain injury seek help to ensure proper recovery. An Occupational Therapist can help!

Learn more about how to manage a concussion and post-concussion syndrome (PCS) in the following from our OT-V video series:

 
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Check out more from our informative Occupational Therapy Video series, OT-V.