Keeping Up With Kaylee

Overall, I think the SIM encounter went well. I still have areas to grow in, but I am improving each time we do this. This experience required us to explain many things in a short amount of time, which other SIMs have not required. I felt like I was talking really fast during the encounter. When I went back and watched the video, I was talking at a normal speed and didn't appear as nervous as I felt. This is something I need to be aware of in future practice because I do not want to show that I am nervous to a parent or child.  If I was given the opportunity for a do-over in this SIM lab, I would have checked for understanding in a different way. Instead of asking multiple times if the parent understood what I was explaining, I would also be sure to ask if there is anything in their life and schedule currently that would meet Libby’s need that we were addressing. This would allow the parent to think about their schedule while keeping the examples I provided in mind.  An a...

   I watched a TED Talk called “Parkinson’s, depression and the switch that might turn them off” by neurosurgeon Andres Lozano. I chose to watched this because I was unfamiliar with deep brain stimulation until we discussed it in class. I wanted to further my knowledge on this subject and the diagnoses that it can be effectively used. Neurosurgery has been around for 7000 years. Originally, people with psychiatric and neurological problems were thought to be possessed by evil spirits. In order to release the spirit, they thought they needed to cut a hole in the skull.    As we have learned, different parts of the brain control different functions. If there is a dysfunction in a specific area of the brain, there are specific functions that will be impaired. Dr. Lozano became interested in this and how deep brain stimulation can help people with various disorders. Deep brain stimulation is achieved by cutting a hole in the skull to reach an area of the brain with ...

The most significant thing I learned from this assignment is the importance of taking the client’s values into consideration when providing therapy services. If the client does not feel like the intervention is meaningful to them, they will not be invested in it. I learned that it can sometimes be difficult to find something that relates to a client’s needs. It may require extra hours, consulting other therapists, thinking outside the box, and adapting an item to best fit each individual client. You may have to try something new with a client, because they have different values and needs than previous clients.  This assignment prepared me to think outside the box. Additionally, it allowed me to look at the whole client and what are their most important needs. For Maurice, he was afraid of becoming bored and lonely. I wanted to create something that was portable and could be kept with him at all times to prevent the feelings he was scared of. The Legen-Dairy Notebook incorp...

I watched a TED Talk called “In Disaster There is Opportunity - Finding a Path Through Paralysis” by Martyn Ashton. Martyn was a professional mountain bike rider for 25 years. During one of his stunts, he sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI).  Fast forward one hour after his accident, Martyn was in the MRI machine and finally able to think about what had just occurred. Many questions ran through his head like “how will I work?” and “how will I be a good dad and husband?” During this struggle and uncertainty, he began to become excited about his future and the positive that he could control the outcome of his mindset. His competitive spirit wondered how he could become the best paraplegic. In the past, this very same energy is what helped him get things accomplished. After the initial stages of his recovery, Martyn tried several sports like basketball, tennis, and kayaking, but had little success. He had not forgot about his passion of riding and was determined to give it a...

I watched a TED Talk called “Facing Death Full of Life” by Danielle Valenti. It was about her journey with Huntington’s disease first as a caretaker, then with it as her future. I chose to watch this TED Talk because the title of it got my attention to live life to the fullest, even in horrible circumstances. It solidified my understanding of Huntington’s disease (HD) that I learned in class about the the genetic link and symptoms experienced. Additionally, it equipped me with a deeper understanding of what a person with a recent diagnosis is going through. Danielle’s mother kept her diagnosis of Huntington’s disease a secret to “protect” her until the symptoms were too obvious to hide any longer. Her mother refused food for 67 days which ended in her death at the age of 55. Danielle no longer had the role of being her mother’s caretaker to distract her from the fact that she could have Huntington’s disease, too. She said she was unable to mourn her mother’s death until she receiv...

I chose to watch a TED Talk on Myasthenia Gravis called One day in the life of Pallavi Rao. The reason I chose to watch a TED Talk on this disorder is because I do not know much about it and thought it would be a great opportunity to learn more about it before discussing it in class. Myasthenia Gravis is an auto immune disorder that affects muscle power in about 1 out of every 10,000 people world wide. It typically affects women earlier in their life as compared to men, and is also more prevalent in women worldwide.  Myasthenia Gravis affects many body systems that have a muscular component. The person may begin slurring their speech as their facial muscles weaken and their eye may droop. For more severe cases, the person may have difficulty chewing, swallowing, eating, breathing, walking, and seeing. The person’s vision is often described as double-vision, meaning they see two objects for every one object that is actually present in front of them. This disorder paralyses diff...

As  the activity demands of an individual increases, the need for greater confidence in mobility does too. The hierarchy of mobility skills, from the most stable to the least, is: bed mobility, mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, functional ambulation for ADL, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility, and community mobility and driving. This sequence is logical and decreases in support as the client progresses through the levels. The base of support varies for each skill. The largest base of support is with bed mobility, which is also the lowest level on the hierarchy. For the highest level, community mobility and driving, there is more maneuvering through environments other than the home. This means extra walking or transfers than the client would usually perform in the home. This is what I have observed in my past experiences. For a client who is very weak and in the hospital, ...

When deciding what assistive device is best for each client, there are many factors that need to be considered in order to have the best "fit." It is important to consider the physical condition of the client, including their disability, weight bearing status, strength, and balance. For example, if the client is not allowed to put any weight through one leg, you would not want to suggest they receive a cane.  Additionally, it is important to fit the assistive device to your client to ensure safety and proper body mechanics. If the client's crutches are too short and not adjusted to match their landmarks we use to fit, then they will likely have poor body mechanics.  If these factors are not considered, it can be detrimental to your client and cause an increase in risk for falls or further injury. To properly fit a cane or rolling walker to your client, the hand grip should be at the level of their greater trochanter to allow their elbow to be flexed 20-30 de...

It is very important to teach proper body mechanics and posture to our clients to prevent injuries. If a person does not have good posture or body mechanics, it can be harmful to their body and cause future injuries. The human spine is designed to be flexible, but also needs to stay in alignment.  For people who perform repetitive motions on a daily basis, we must see how they perform the task and determine if there would be a more efficient and optimal way for their body to move. For a person with exaggerated spinal curves, muscles on one side would be stretched and weakened, while the muscles on the opposite side would be shortened and tightened. For a person who stays in a flexed  position of their  spine will cause the intervertebral  dies material to glide backwards, possibly causing a herniation. Posterior herniations are most common because humans generally flex their spine repetitively. It is good to teach a proper lifting techniques and to keep a ...

If the soldier lost the bet, he was to lose his pinky. Although the pinky is the smallest finger, it still plays an important role in our daily activities. Without the pinky, our grasps would not be as efficient. To grasp something small, the pinky wraps tightly around the object to prevent it from slipping out of the hand. The pinky is involved in spherical, power, hook, and cylindrical grips. Without the pinky's help with these grips, it would be more difficult and cause greater use of the four remaining fingers.  An occupation that would be affected if the soldier lost his pinky thumb would be fighting in war. It would be difficult for him to accurately aim the gun to hit his intended target. He would have less stabilization than he would with all his fingers intact. Also, guns are heavy and without the pinky it would be more work on the other fingers to hold tightly to the gun. To adapt this difficulty for the soldier, he could use a gun that is ...

Professor Flick brought to light many important concepts and deepened my understanding on the importance of health promotion. As future occupational therapy practitioners, we must educate and teach those we work with about health. Social determinants of a person's health include: education, food, income, peace, shelter, social injustice and equity, stable ecosystem, and sustainable resources. If we are able to impact one or more of these areas in a person's life, it can greatly impact their health in a positive way. Additionally, she discussed how important it is to check for client understanding each session. It is not always outwardly obvious if a client is not able to read, so it is important to determine this and make sure they are aware of what is going on. Professor Flick discussed a study that evaluated readmission rates in hospitals. Occupational therapy proved to be the only service that positively impacted and reduced these rates. I believe that is because occupatio...

Scapulohumeral Rhythm refers to the relationship of the humerus and scapula during upper extremity movements.  The clinical relevance of this topic is to be aware that to obtain the full 180 degrees of motion, there must be a synchronized movement between the scapulothoracic and glenohumeral joint. There is a 2:1 ratio of these two joints. For every 2 degrees the humerus moves at the glenohumeral joint, the scapula moves 1 degree at the scapulothoracic joint. When the shoulder joint moves the full 180 degrees, the humerus moves 120 degrees and the scapula moves 60 degrees. Both joints contribute to the overall motion needed to complete full shoulder range of motion.  The shoulder joint has the greatest mobility of any joints in the body, so the muscles and ligaments that are a part of the joint are essential for maintaining stability. Scapulohumeral Rhythm allows for optimal length-tension relationships to prevent active insufficiency at the glenohumeral joint. The scapula ...

It is important to palpate bony landmarks when measuring ROM to place the axis of the goniometer in the proper position and to point the arms of goniometer towards the proper bony landmarks, too. By placing the goniometer on the bony landmark, it increases interrater and intrarater reliability. If two therapists were to measure ROM on a client, it is important that both perform the measure in the same way, using the same landmarks to ensure that the measurement is the most accurate.  Additionally, it is important to position the client in the proper position to measure the joint. If this is not done, the client’s full available range of motion may not be recorded or measured because it could not be obtained in that specific position. For example, when measuring knee extension, a towel should be placed under the client’s ankle to allow for the full extension to be obtained. If the initial therapist performs the measurement with the towel under the ankle, but the second therapis...

Universal design is something that people without disabilities take for granted on a daily basis. It is very important for us to consider though to help those around us with disabilities be able to do things independently to the fullest. Everyone benefits from universal design, with or without disabilities. Michael Nesmith stated in his TedTalk, “Disability drives innovation. The existence of disability forces you to come up with new solutions, it does not impair you.” He goes on to say that everyone has a disability, they are just displayed in different forms or for different lengths of time. I chose to listen to the podcast “Au-some Swimmers” on swim lessons for kids with autism. The occupational therapists had a couple main objectives when designing this program: to see the needs of the sites and lifeguards, to teach the lifeguards how to communicate with kids on the spectrum, and to increase the general knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). By educating the lifegua...

Drinking plenty of water is part of my daily routine. The starting position is with my arm straight with my elbow extended and ending with elbow flexion to bring the cup to my mouth. For the elbow joint, the plane of motion is sagittal plane and the axis of rotation is frontal axis . For the shoulder joint, the plane of motion is the sagittal plane and the axis of rotation is the frontal axis.  For the elbow joint, the osteokinematic movement is flexion. When I bring the glass of water to my mouth, I have to flex at the elbow joint to do so. The angle between my humerus and radius decreases.  The arthrokinematic movement at the elbow joint is rolling and  gliding. The more stable humerus rolls and glides on the less stable ulna in the same direction to produce the movement.  The prime movers to bring a glass of water to my mouth are the biceps brachii,  brachioradialis, and brachialis. These three muscles produce...

Therapeutic relationships are very important to establish as an occupational therapist. It allows for a deeper connection to be formed, which develops from many factors including trust and empathy. By planning how an interaction with a client will go, including the resources and activities you have planned for their session, it allows for less anxiety and more organization to happen before the interaction. If you let the client know you are invested in their improvement by exemplifying these characteristics, it is likely that the therapeutic outcome with be more positive. As my time as a rehab tech, I saw first hand how vital this relationship can be. When a client doesn't feel confident or sure about therapy and how it will help them, a therapist can let them know with body language and words how they plan to improve their quality of life. Although I know there is always room for improvement, I think I have a good amount of empathy already established. As my time at UTHSC, I kno...

My main take-away from Dr. Keisling’s presentation on The History of Disability was the importance of understanding and knowing the history behind disabilities. It is not essential that we know every piece of legislature in regards to this, but instead that we are familiar with how it is relevant. Before today’s presentation, I was honestly unaware of many of the topics he discussed. People with disabilities, mild to severe, were stripped of their human rights and not given the opportunity to make their own decisions in regards to their own life. I did not know the extent to which the government and the media took to exclude people from society and make generalizations about how they were dangerous. It makes me want to always see each individual as a person, and if they are different than me, not judge them, but get to know them for who they are.  When working on the Era Presentations, I did not fully understand the importance of knowing the history behind various topics we le...

The OTPF is a document that explains topics and elements of occupational therapy which are all intertwined. It defines occupational therapy practitioners, clients, and occupations, which are all important terms and concepts to fully understand as an occupational therapist. It is important to learn about the OTPF because it can be used as a resource in the field and lays the foundation or "framework" for which we as professionals practice. In addition, the OTPF has many visuals for clearer and more concise understanding of different topics and how they are related to other topics.

One of my roles in life is being a wife. With this role there are many occupations, activities, and tasks that contribute to it. One of my occupations as a wife that I participate in on a regular basis is doing laundry. There are many smaller activities that make up doing laundry like putting the clothes into the washing machine and folding the clothes. A task of folding the laundry is grabbing a shirt. This is an essential piece of performing and completing the activity.

I am choosing dressing as my occupation that has remained true and consistent over time. Although fashion and what people wear has varied, the occupation has stayed the same. Throughout time though, people have decided to get dressed up and wear their "Sunday best" when attending church on Sunday. Many people have specific shoes or outfits that they only wear to church. Also, the type or how dressed up some one gets depends on where they are going and what they are doing there. If you are spending the day on a hike, you will wear more relaxed clothes and tennis shoes. Additionally it is a social norm to dress before going in public. This is another aspect of my occupation that has remain consistent over time. There are many tasks that go into getting dressed that have also remained consistent over several decades.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, but I was unsure what exactly I would chose. With both of my parents being pharmacists, I thought this would be a perfect fit for me and began exploring it. I looked at educational requirements, prerequisites and job outlooks, but ultimately decided pharmacy was not for me. During my junior and senior year of high school, I began exploring other medical careers. I eventually shadowed a pediatric OT, and fell in love with it. I knew very quickly that this is what I wanted to spend my career doing. During my years at Tennessee Tech University, I continued shadowing occupational therapists and confirmed that this is what I wanted to do. I observed how the therapists enjoyed what they were doing and did not dread going to work everyday. Additionally, I felt that several of my personality traits would allow me to be an excellent occupational therapist. I truly enjoy helping others and have a passion for health care,...