RehabCare

The "NEW" Long-Term Care

So many of us think of Long-Term Care facilities and Nursing Homes as being sterile and depressing.  Over the past few years there has been a strong movement of change from the "old, cold, impersonal nursing home idea"  to a more "resident-centered- care' household model." 

From Virginia to Ghana!

Every now and then we like to spotlight collegiate therapy programs in the U.S. that help their students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to the outside world.  The last program highlighted was the University of Wisconsin-Madison where PT students and faculty traveled to Belize to help develop community education programs on disability.

Today, we would like to shine the spotlight on the Occupational Therapy Program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.  This May, five OT graduate students, along with their professor, will spend 2 weeks in Ghana, Africa as part of one of their courses.  Below is a section of the course syllabus, found on one of the students' blogs.

"The focus of the course will be on understanding child development from the Ghanaian perspective and the challenges faced by children in developing countries. A special focus will be placed on children with disabilities and children who are disadvantaged by their family situation (e.g. orphans, street children). Participants will visit and volunteer at several orphanages and schools in the Central region of Ghana as well as work with street children currently being served by the host organization, Sovereign Global Mission. While in the country, students will meet with and interview local leaders to gain a better understanding of the disability culture in this part of West Africa."

Students will spend the semester leading up to their trip learning about child development and disability, among other things.  As an added plus, the students and professor have each created blogs to reflect on what they learn before, during and after the trip!  I have included links to each blog below.  Take a moment to check in on them from time to time.

OT Ghana 2009
Jessica's Trip to Ghana 2009
Kate's Trip to Ghana, 2009
OT Grad Student in Ghana
VCU OT - Ghana 2009
VCU OT in Ghana

The VCU Ghana trip is just another example of the great job our universities are doing in expanding the minds of their students, and in turn, sending knowledgeable and well-rounded therapists out into the field. 

Better Late Than Never, Right?

Well, I have finally joined the craze that is "social networking".  This, after reading countless blogs and news articles on the subject and finding that the majority of my friends and colleagues are part of the trend.  Now that RehabCare and I are part of facebook, I realize just how huge "social networking" really is.  Not only are there opportunities to connect with friends from the past, but there are countless opportunities to network with peers.

Physical Therapists Helping Those Wounded at War

One of the reasons in being a physical therapist is the want to help others. Whether we help them overcome an injury and alter a lifestyle due to an illnesses, it is what drives our profession and gives us fulfillment in our practice. One such physical therapist is not only touching the lives of soldiers by provide rehab to their injured areas but has also put herself on the frontline at times. Between treating the 4,000 patients since she has been in Iraq, she has trained and been put in the most dangerous of situations. Take a moment to watch this video and be thankful not only for her abilities as a physical therapist but also as a soldier.

Obama & McCain...Where do they stand?

Today you can't turn on the TV without being bombarded with U.S. politics; Obama this, McCain that.   With the elections coming up in... let's count 'em...4 months, it is important that U.S. citizens are aware of each candidates stance on the economy, the war and HEALTH CARE. 

While browsing  ADVANCE for Physical Therapists & PT Assistants online, I found a video presented by ADVANCE that features the advisors of Obama & McCain participating in a "panel discussion titled 'The Presidential Health Care Agenda' at the World Health Care Congress April 21, 2008 in Washington."  Take a look at the video to see where each advisor positions their candidate on the issue of health care.  And, remember, come November, use your right to vote!

RehabCare Launches Two New Academic Partnerships

RehabCare has formed two new academic partnerships aimed at increasing the future supply of therapists — one with Texas Tech University, and the other with University of Oklahoma. At Texas Tech University, RehabCare will financially support development of a Ph.D. program in rehabilitation science. The program will educate faculty for physical therapy and occupational therapy courses, enabling Texas Tech to expand enrollment of these high demand professionals. At University of Oklahoma, we are funding scholarships for students entering the university’s College of Allied Health and will provide stipends for students accepting affiliations in RehabCare programs in non-urban areas.  A RehabCare representative will sit on the University of Oklahoma’s curriculum committee to develop and review its geriatric rehabilitation curriculum as well as deliver classroom lectures.

Occupational Therapy Celebrated In Massachusetts

I would like to welcome a guest author to our blog, Melissa Tilton.  Melissa is a Director of Operations for RehabCare in the Northeast and is also a licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant.  She is very involved in the Occupational Therapy Association in her home state of Massachusetts.  She has graciously written a summary of her experience during OT day and how campus relations played a role in helping to make the day even more successful:

"April 28^th was OT day at the Massachusetts State House.  A large group of Boston University (BU) students were in attendance as well as representatives from the Massachusetts Association for Occupational Therapy (MAOT). OT day was an opportunity for occupational therapy practitioners to be in front of state representatives and senators to educate them on OT. 

New Bills Pass Thanks To AOTA

The AOTA has great reasons to celebrate.  They recently helped get two very important pieces of legislature passed in Congress within the last several weeks.  One is the Safety of Seniors Act and the second is the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.

The Safety of Seniors Act, also known as the Keeping Seniors Safe from Falls Act, has been part of AOTA’s legislative agenda for several years and final passage marks a significant legislative victory.

According to the article, over 16,000 Americans die each year from falls and this results in $19.2 billion in health care related costs.  That number is astounding!  The Act would serve to provide research and evaluate programs that would help to reduce the number of fall incidences and public health burdens that arise from them.

AOTA and the California Sun

I am sure you have been wondering what the Campus Relations crew has been up to over the last month.  The answer is a lot! What better a reason to go to Long Beach California than the AOTA National Convention.

Living Life To Its Fullest

As of this month, "Living Life To Its Fullest" is the AOTA's new slogan for the 21st century.  After nearly a year in development the AOTA has released the new slogan in hopes that it will "crystallize what the profession stands for and the positive impact it has on the lives of its patients."  It also looks to differentiate Occupational Therapy from similar disciplines.

"Occupational therapy helps people live life to its fullest. It does this by helping people of all ages who have suffered an illness, injury or some form of debilitation relearn the skills of daily living. By focusing on the physical, psychological and social needs of its patients, OT helps people function at the highest possible level, concentrating on what’s important to them to rebuild their health, independence and self-esteem."

In the past, many in the OT field have felt that the outside world does not completely understand the role of Occupational Therapy in rehabilitation.  With new communications circling around "Living Life To Its Fullest", a better understanding of the true impact of Occupational Therapy will be apparent.  As Penny Moyers, AOTA President, stated at the AOTA's 88th  Annual Conference "Living life and occupational therapy are inextricably intertwined."