Therapeutic media…cooking activity…occupational therapy…

Today I did a whole lot of nothing, 3 hours of cleaning, and Roller Derby. I had such good intentions to do homework. But oops.

Tomorrow I am going to a birthday lunch for my landlord, some adopted family friends after that, and then a Superbowl party at OTS Kerri & Brent's. Should be fun. But I do really need to get some OT work squeezed in! I need to study the leadership/management book for our midterm, work on the midterm for Perspectives of Aging that involves some self-reflection, think about a well-elderly program to design, and then start working on the therapeutic media paperwork. My partner Meg and I decided to do fortune cookies. We are having the elders write advice on large strips of paper, then folding them up in felt in the shape of cookies. With our guidance of course. That's the short description of it…not going into detail on how it deals with fine motor, cognition, reminiscing, etc.

The other fun thing we'll be doing is on Tuesday. We're going to a rehab gym out east that has a grocery store next door. We each have a partner and we swap a simulated disability. My partner is Virginia and we are sharing the total hip replacement and will be using a walker. We have to plan a meal with our group, which consists of various simulated disabilities, and then go to the store to buy the items, come back and then make it. So for example Virginia will be the patient in the store, using a walker, and I'll be her OT, assisting her. Then when we get to the rehab hospital we'll swap, and I'll be the patient making the food, with Virginia as the OT. Our group decided to make salad, Mexican pizzas, and cinnamon-sugar breadsticks, like churros. This may sound odd, but it's a way for us to be in the shoes of another person, AND it is very occupation-based and something that is actually used in rehab settings with people re-integrating into the community. I once got to observe a day group do just this – plan a meal, go to the store and get the items, and then start making the food. I'm looking forward to it and I hope I can get in a bunch of pictures and maybe some video. The Kroger grocery store next door to the hospital is going to be all confused! LOL.

Well I think I'm going to try to go to bed since tomorrow involves a lot of work!

Feb 03, 2008 | Category: Occupational Therapy | Comments: 1