Future OT Megan

Social determinants of health are all of the things in your life that could affect your health. This is where health and wellness starts. Social determinants of heath are where we should start looking before we even look at the symptoms. Some social determinants of health include the clients housing conditions, socioeconomic status, transportation, food security/insecurity and employment status. These things all provide, or do not provide, resources that can help keep you well and healthy. Without some of these, people will have an increased risk of disease, lack of opportunity and less access to things that make them healthy. Social determinants of health can also affect the health of your nervous system. Stress is one thing that is affected by social determinants of health and it ultimately affects several areas of your nervous system. Stress can be a result of things like unemployment, food insecurity, poor housing/work conditions, and low socioeconomic status. All of these are...

As future OTs, we will be fitting our clients to assistive devices regularly. It is extremely important to fit these correctly to each patient. One reason why this is so important is that we need to give the client the right amount of stability needed. Another reason is that we need to make sure that it is comfortable for the client. They will most likely be using it every day, if not all day, so we need to make sure it correctly fits their body and needs. A cane is the most unstable of assistive devices, however, it might be perfect for one of our clients and their needs. In order to fit a cane correctly, we need to make sure that the hand grips are at the same level as the ulnar styloid process, the wrist crease and/or the greater trochanter of the femur. Their elbows need to be relaxed here and flexed to about 20-30°. It is important to make sure that the clients shoulders are relaxed down and not elevated towards their ears. To fit axillary crutches, you will use the same point...

The order for restoring confidence in mobility for increasing activity demands starts with the most basic which is bed mobility. As you follow up the mobility skills hierarchy, the next are mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation of activities of daily living, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility and the highest on the hierarchy is community mobility and driving. When I look at this hierarchy, the order makes sense. Especially starting with the most basic skill in preparation for transfers, bed mobility. Bed mobility is being able to move your body in bed to several positions including supine, prone, side-lying and sitting. Having the skill of bed mobility will allow the client to participate in activities of daily living and also allow the client to move to provide pressure relief. Bed mobility includes bridging, scooting and rolling. Doing this will help the client prepare for transfers, and reposition in b...