Seniors Flourish Podcast | Occupational Therapy

Even though there is a large percentage of the US population that affiliates with some level of spirituality or God, our current healthcare system does not often put a priority on spirituality and intuition outside of a typical hospital chaplain. Because occupational therapy looks at the "whole person," it is an important aspect of people's lives that we sometimes don't address. Some areas of OT practice integrate this more easily,... Read more

Many know that occupational therapists help with driving rehab, but how about driving retirement? It is a HUGE shift to go from driving to not driving and what is our role in preparing our patients with this transition? The more we can help our patients explore alternative options, the easier it will be for them in the future. Terri Cassidy OTD, OTR/L, Certified Driving Rehab Specialist, discusses what this looks like, as well as h... Read more

Curious what an occupational therapy fieldwork looks like? Guest Chelsea Rowe OTR/L just finished her level II fieldwork and shares her pros, cons, challenges and celebrations of her experience. She also talks about resources she couldn't live without, tips for assessments, productivity and what to expect when diving into fieldwork! MUST HAVE Resources Chelsea Recommends for Level II Fieldwork: Learning Lab Membership OT Toolkit Ad... Read more

Occupational therapy practitioners are continuously looking for ways to maximize the potential of their clients that have had a stroke. But what does the research say? Lauren Sheehan OTD, OTR/L & Lauren Souders OTR/L, CBIS dig into the intensity and repetition for task based practice in order to increase the motor function after a person has a stroke. Tips for how to do it, options for technology to assist us and when should we get... Read more

 Occupational therapy practitioners improve quality of life in hospice and palliative care by helping people engage in those meaningful occupations, even if it is at their end of life. Karmella Bognot MS, OTR/L shares her experience working with people in a hospice and palliative care setting and how our role as OT practitioners is just as important in this stage of life, as it is when they are younger. Resources: The Role of Occup... Read more

I have struggled over the years finding the right treatment options in helping my clients that have Parkinson's Disease optimize function. LSVT BIG is determined to help OT practitioners do this through evidence based intervention! Not only is LSVT BIG treatment customized to each person's specific needs and goals, it helps them more more normally and these strategies can be utilized regardless of the stage or severity.  The team f... Read more

Feeling a bit burned out by OT or maybe looking for a sidegig where you can use your OT skills to revive your passion for your career? There are many non-traditional occupational therapy jobs out there where you can use your skill set for non-clinical positions that will help you to love your work again! Sarah Lyon OTR/L, OTpotential.com and Meredith Castin PT, DPT, theNonClinicalPT.com share resources and discuss how we can narrow... Read more

Arthritis can be so debilitating to our clients because it is often not always the direct (or only!) reason we are seeing them. Occupational therapy practitioners have a unique perspective to not only treat the diagnosis, but we get to look at our patients holistically and address the things that are important to them, even in an outpatient setting.   Guest Hoang Tran OT/L, CHT talks pain, when to (or not to) splint, joint protecti... Read more

Have you ever wondered, "how should I be prescribing home exercise programs" or "what type of approach is best to address my patient's upper extremity dysfunction?" Anthony Mucci COTA and I discuss how we should be using a combination of a biomechanical approach in conjunction with occupation based techniques to help our patients achieve their optimal outcomes. It is definitely not a "one-size-fits-all" approach! Resources from the... Read more

Resources from the show: PDF: Occupational Therapy Supervisory Log Podcast and Resource Links: Occupational Therapy Specialties and Certifications for OTR & OTA Occupational Therapy Assistant Supervisory State Requirements ACOTE standards  OTA Leadership page on AOTA (lots and lots of stuff on here!) Standards of practice paper OT Ethics Learn More About Our Sponsor: Looking for MORE resources? The Learning Lab Membership is ... Read more

I love that the Seniors Flourish Podcast can talk about professional issues that are REAL - like, are you unhappy with your occupational therapy job, or feeling burned out being an OT? Ericka del Pozo MOT OTR/L, shares her resources and passion for helping fellow OT practitioners bash the burnout! Visit https://seniorsflourish.com/burned-out-in-occupational-therapy/  to get all the resources from the show!

How can the Allen Cognitive Levels help you to provide better treatments for our patients with a cognitive impairment? How can we use this theory to make better discharge planning? How can we help our patient's be successful in their own environments with dementia? Dr Patricia Cornille OTD and Carol Luhman OTR, both former presidents of the Allen Cognitive Network, share how we can integrate this model into our practice to produce ... Read more

How can the Allen Cognitive Levels help you to provide better treatments for our patients with a cognitive impairment? How can we use this theory to make better discharge planning? How can we help our patient's be successful in their own environments with dementia? Dr Patricia Cornille OTD and Carol Luhman OTR, both former presidents of the Allen Cognitive Network, share how we can integrate this model into our practice to produce ... Read more

Occupational Therapist have a unique role when working in a community based setting for older adults with developmental disabilities. Guest Tomeico Faison OTR/L not only has a passion for providing services to this population, but has grown an OT business! From assessments and case studies to finding a way to serve an unmet need, you will not want to miss this episode. Resources From the Show:  OT-Innovations.com ARC COPM Sensory P... Read more

Occupational therapy specialties and certifications - what's out there and what are some options for you to further your occupational therapy career. Any certifications or specialties that have impacted your career and you would love to add - leave us a comment! Resources From the Show:     https://www.seniorsflourish.com/occupationaltherapyspecialties/ ‎ Learn More About Our Sponsors: Promenaid is the world’s first

Looking to learn more about being an occupational therapy practitioner and fostering inclusivity with older adults in the LGBTQ+ community? Learn about the stats, get more information on inclusive language, check out these resources and gain knowledge on practical strategies to increase your competency.  Anything you would love to add - leave us a comment! Resources From the Show:  theSafeZoneProject.com Human Rights Campaign Foste... Read more

In this episode of the Seniors Flourish Podcast, we are chatting about all things Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Podcasting to enhance your OT professional development. What are your favorite podcasts - leave us a comment! Learn More About Our Sponsors: Promenaid is the world’s first code-compliant continuous handrail combining elegance, versatility, and easy installation. Promenaid handrails can climb stairs and navig... Read more

What is it like to be an occupational therapy practitioner working in a skilled nursing facility (SNF)? We will be digging into a typical day and discussing the pros and cons of working with older adults in this setting. Anything you would love to add - leave us a comment! Resources From the Show:  Purpose Therapy Box Learn More About Our Sponsors: Promenaid is the world’s first code-compliant continuous handrail combining elegance... Read more

In this episode of the Seniors Flourish Podcast, we will be talking about if going from COTA to OTR is right for you. Lot's of pros and cons - get out your paper and start writing them down! Resources From the Show:  Article: Should You Transition From COTA to OTR? The Pros and Cons of Making The Leap Learn More About Our Sponsors:   Promenaid is the world’s first code-compliant continuous handrail combining elegance, versatility, ... Read more