Group work has a lot of potential and with clients with dementia you may find that reminiscence is useful, but not for everyone. Some people have a lot to forget. I found that life stories and biography groups were great for giving people a sense of their co-residents' as real people, and very useful for helping staff think of the residents as people with real histories instead of just another job they have to do.
It's often a bit of a battle to get care staff to encourage clients to be as independent as possible, as it's often quicker to do something for them rather than encourage them to be independent. It can be extremely useful if you can integrate a resident into the daily work of the unit by helping with domestic tasks and so on. It can encourage a real sense of productivity, usefulness and self esteem. Staff can be as institutionalised and demoralised as clients, so you have to be diplomatic about introducing change.
There also seem to be an increasing number of residential homes that set aside a unit to provide short stay rehab facilities, so that opens up a whole range of work you could be involved with.
One thing worth knowing is that equipment that is solely for the use of one client should be provided by the local authority or health service if the client has been placed there by the local authority. Self funded, elective clients might have to foot the bill themselves. I'm not sure about that.
I hear there's some reasonable surf there, too.
Cheers
Mike
http://www.otdirect.co.uk
Sarah-Jane Brummage wrote:
The job that I have applied for is in the Channel Islands.******************** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's body, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist ------ OTnow messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] (and) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ********rC***********Do you primarily concentrate on adaptive and assistive equipment or are there other issues that you deal with - I'm thinking about issues such as manual handling or life story work?
I can't remeber if I said that this post involves developing a new OT service, so there are no previous "history of treatments" to go by. I feel quite daunted by the prospect, but also very motivated.
What a challenge, to be able to have some impact on how a service is shaped. I only hope that I can do it right!!
Sarah
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: Resedential and Home care service
>Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 00:00:11 EST
>
>Sarah-Jane
> I am just curious to know, where are you?
> Here is a little of what I have learned over the years.
> 1. Most people don't need the official "transfer tub bench" with two
>legs out of the tub and two in. I love the seats made by rubbermaid and the
>basic shower seat without a back is very versatile. I have a very kind
>equipment supplier who sells me these for $30. If their tub is too narrow, I
>just put it in sideways, and that works fine. Even though I don't use the
>transfer bench, I teach them to back up to the tub, sit down on the bench,
>and then get their feet in after they are seated, wash up, and then get their
>feet out before they attempt to stand.
> 2. I install handheld showers a lot and it is really easy. You need
>teflon tape, a pipe wrench, and scissors. I use a diverter valve and in
>this, I do not like the rubbermaid because it is that plastic that looks like
>chrome, but hardware stores carry metal ones ( about $15 ) and a simple
>handheld shower with no different types of spray, but it does have a "pause
>button. There is one made by rubbermaid and one by master plumber (both
>around $17).
> 3. If they don't currently have any shower, you can try a tub
>diverter spout, but this is harder and I did break a lady's plumbing once
>trying this (her son and I were able to repair it with advice and supplies
>from a building place)
> 4. Grab bars. I realize there is a liability issue, but I use a
>stud finder and I am doing this to help people, so I guess I take a chance.
>I use the tiniest drill bit and the biggest screw I can, and I always get
>into wood, so I feel pretty confident that my grab bars aren't going
>anywhere. If their house is really nice and doesn't look like it needs any
>unforseen holes then I ask them to get a carpenter. Or, I sue a clamp on
>grab bar at the back of the tub, behind the seat.
> 5. Of course, all this has to be customized to the client, the
>caregiver, and the bathroom, but it might give you a little hint.
> -- Jody
>
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