As a physiotherapist with an occupational therapist mother, I can confirm that this is a chilling documentary of our holiday conversations. Our last family dinner involved a gait assessment of my 93 year old grandfather.
My Physical Therapist got a little kick out of the fact that I have stared down the barrel of a gun on multiple occasions without so much as a twitch, yet for about 3 weeks I had a full body flinch when I saw her before our sessions. Before you ask, ROM of the right elbow after compound fracture of the distal humerus. Ended up, even after PT sessions and doing it at home, the scar tissue got too tough and I am going into surgery for a cleaning in January, then some more PT. Extra fun, I have Opioid Resistance, so I can't even drug myself up for the next part. Yay. But no OT so far, as I can walk perfectly well, and even carry heavy loads without issues. Hurrah for being only in my 30s.
Occupational Therapists seem so underrated. Like, they make sure you can live as independently as possible for as long as possible, and they make it so you can keep control over your life for as long as possible. When you grow old, you're not going to want to give up your house, your belongings, your ability to decide what you can eat, when you can go outside, and even who gets to sleep in the same room as you. Nobody wants to be in a nursing home because they take all of that away. OT's put that off for a little bit Their whole job is to maintain everyone's quality of life, but since you can't measure that, you can't bill for it, so they're sidelined
Yes! Our jobs are actually way more complicated and nuanced in other areas like working in mental health and brain injuries/cognitive disorders. Most people have no clue what we do lol
@@mirjanathiessen1829 OTs are an indispensable part of the mental health team from Group to individual therapies, in- patient therapies and addiction interventions. Just so underfunded and poorly reimbursed in many countries.
@@mirjanathiessen1829 Absolutely! I was hit by a car as a teenager (whilst static on my motorcycle; multiple head impacts and joint injury) and my OT was incredible! Helped massively with my physical and mental difficulties. I had no idea before that how skilled OTs had to be!
@@mirjanathiessen1829 I adore our son's OT. He's 4.5 and has some motor processing/sensory integrating issues. She (OT) really helps him self regulate and has given him vocabulary to understand and express mind body connection. The best part is that she comes to us.
When I was younger I would’ve laughed at him and blew him off but now that I’ve gotten older and a little more unsteady on my feet I think he’s a godsend.😊 Happy holidays to everybody! 🥰
You never really appreciate the sheer concern and science that goes into protecting you against yourself until you start to feel the inevitable march of time. I adore people that design for accessibility. Oftentimes, it makes things so much more comfortable and safer for everyone.
I’m 23 and taking notes. Lot of these sound like a good idea. I hate accidentally slipping on things in general. Didn’t know I could buy grippers for the annoying slippery kitchen sink rug
Amen! Accompany your loved one's (or your own) broken ankle or skull to the ER...it only takes once then the light dawns for you that all these actions and helpful items are...Not New. And the feeling stupid quickly fades, but blasts back Mucho Gusto when the bill comes. Also note that the OT gives NON-GRIPPY hospital socks...depending on the Patient, the last thing you want is for their (shuffling gait) feet to come to an unexpected screeching halt when their otherwise-safely moving foot slides forward on the floor and causes a fall.
My 83 year old father lives with us and I spent the whole video vacillating between, "Oh man, isn't he the life of the party" to "Oh wow, we don't have that. We need to get that." Poor Dad, he probably doesn't even realize that he lives in a death trap.
My OT mother's response after sending her this video. "FUNNIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN! EVERY WORD HAS COME OUT OF MY MOUTH AT SOME TIME. #safetyfirst" She's delightful ❤️
as a woman pregnant with twins, I would honestly cry with joy if someone got my handle grips for my bathroom, non slip hospital socks, a gorilla glue shower mat, a seat riser, and an adjustable shower handle lmao
“…stairs not up to code.” OT’s little nieces and nephews will one day look back fondly on the Christmases they spent Googling the International Residential Code to check stair riser and tread dimensions with Uncle OT.
The occupational therapist is just taking care of everybody, out of the love and medical passion in his heart 😭❤️ if he gave me a gorilla grip shower mat for my shower you're damn right I'm treasuring it forever ❤️
@@lauralake7430 why would anyone put any clear silicone mat in the dryer? Just hang mats over a shower rod in between uses. But not the #GorillaSlip brand. I’m still mad I trusted their brand name trying all their mats thinking one of them would work. I had to trash all that plastic because I couldn’t give them away and let someone else get injured like I was.
Just jumping in on this reply thread in case anyone can offer a recommendation for bathtub/shower floor traction that actually works and also doesn't breed mould.
Honestly, that bit about shower safety is pretty on point. I was in my early 20s when I slipped in the shower and smacked my head on the side of the tub. I have a scar just above my right eye where the skin split open. Considering how hard the impact was, I was pretty lucky to get away with just a cut and some nasty bruising.
I have exactly the same scar in exactly the same place from a very similar accident (I was 16, though, and split my skin impacting the wall on the way down - left a nice little blood smear)! I still get a bit nervous stepping into a bathtub shower to this day
My husband (33 years old) slipped and fell while stepping into the shower not too long ago because the floor was more slippery than he expected. He took the shower curtain rod down and everything but was incredibly lucky that he only got a minor bruise on his side.
Had an old mentor that went on a job, young bloke slipped in the shower. He hit the porcelain soap holder and it shattered, exposing three metal prongs that were inside the tile to give the clam shell projection strength. Ended up slashing his neck on it and he bled out before arrival. Super freak accident but I've never looked at a tile soap holder the same way since. 😅
Omg. I’m an OT and I have literally said everything in this video. I’m dying. Thank you for acknowledging our expertise! We may be a little quirky but we love what we do and just want everyone safe!
I am not an OT, but I definitely have an eye for this kind of thing. I realized in college that my chronic health condition wasn't magically cured by fixing little things, but that it did help with compliance and made daily life and disease management a little less difficult. Then it was cemented when my mom was woozy from significant blood loss after a cut with blood thinners, so I made sure that nothing was in the fall path. Don't want her to have to deal with having a head bonk while her leg is bleeding! Even though we aren't at the point where accessibility is essential to daily functions, having an eye for it can be helpful, making life a little bit easier and safer.
You know, I'm seeing an occupational therapist for my ADHD and I had completely forgotten that they're usually known for this kind of stuff. I was like, "but where's the calendar and helpful list of things you can do to get yourself to start working without a deadline in sight? Where's the advice of different things you can do to maintain your attention??" The pill organizer is super appreciated tho
@@ae3qe27u3 four months late, but for now what I've gotten is: 1) Keep reminders in really visible places 2) Keep swapping out the reminders, 'cause they're gonna work for a week or two and then your brain is gonna get used to it 3) Have a work space that is for work and is separate from your living space 4) Divide your tasks in smaller manageable tasks. Writing a 6000 words article is a lot of work, and if something is work you're gonna do it at the last minute. You can do 500 words a day, though. 5) Make it easy to do stuff. It's easy for me to have breakfast when breakfast is just "chuck an Eggo in the toaster." Vacuuming the floor is a hassle (you gotta get the vacuum cleaner out! you gotta plug it in! you gotta feel bad for the terrified cats! you gotta get it out!) but sweeping the floor with a broom is easy. It's easy to clean surfices when the cleaning stuff is right there instead of in the closet. Right now what's working for me is to put my computer on my desk (the work space) when I go to sleep. That way when I wake up and I go to my relax space to have breakfast I can't use my computer, because it's on the desk, and getting on the desk is effort. Eventually though you need the computer, and when you do... ahah! You're in the work space! Might as well work!
As a chronically ill person I would love medical equipment for presents. That stuff's expensive. I treated myself to a month pill container before surgery and OMG it was worth it. Takes about 35 minutes to fill it, but then I'm done for a month.
I got a 3 week one for free off of my city "sharing Facebook group" where people give away stuff. Depends on the type of spoons you have and where you live but it's been a big help to me both in getting rid of stuff and getting stuff I need
for real. my apartment had no grab bars in the showers and a stone tile that'd get slippery when wet. it took years, but when an OT took a look at that they gave us resources to call and bully/sweet talk the complex into getting us some proper safety.
@@FronteirWolf yeah, I used to use two one week ones (for morning and evening) and it worked ok, but with surgery I didn't want to deal with it. And same, there's no way I could deal with opening up every bottle every time, I would go nuts and screw it up. Or forget if I actually took them, whereas with a pill container you can just look to check.
@@falconerd343 Agreed! My condo was previously owned by a little old lady. Plenty of grab bars, plus those little motion sensitive lights on the stairs.
Seriously, thank you Occupational Therapist. I had never heard of swing clear hinges and I have a wheelchair in my apartment I just need a little more clearance and I can actually use my manual chair in my home like I’m supposed to.
Yeah, I immediately took a note on those. I also need someone to come in with a wrecking bar to remove the "decorative" feature that narrows hallway entrances by 4 inches.
I have so many questions. Does nana live alone? Yes, she will have the pill box, but does she actually remember to take the pills? Do we need to do a MOCA or SLUMS? How is she doing negotiating stairs? Is there a full bathroom on the main level? Is there anyone that assists with IADLs like grocery shopping and meal prep? Will we get to see OT featured in more videos? He’s the best!
Does she have motion activated lights for tripping safety during middle of the night bathroom runs?! How’s her community mobility? I’m thinking we might need a KELS
I love it! I am not a Physical Therapist, but I am Social Work Assessor, and I frequently am meeting with people with disabilities in their homes. I am constantly scanning for safety, narrow walkways, walkers that don't have tennis balls on them, lack of grab bars in the bathrooms, etc. A lot of my assessments end up with me recommending that the person's case manager get home modifications and homemaking services done to make the residence safer.
@@darkhorseash4337 oh well this is for people who qualify for government assistance to pay for the modifications. Each state has different rules for how funding for home modifications is approved. In MN where I live, there are limits to how much can be spent per year, and each county has their own committees that review amy home modification requests. Case managers will find an agency that provide "Environmental Accessibility" assessments where they look through the residence to see what needs fo be done, then find contractors to provide bids for the work, and then submit their assessments and contractor bids to the home modification committee. The committee will either approve the request, or they will ask for more info, or request that cheaper and less extensive modifications be done if they feel that the modifications being requested are more than what is needed. It's a whole fucking process.
Love your videos! It seems with the OT character it's a good time to talk just designing accessibly by default. It's not just older people who become disabled. The interesting thing is that a lot of medical offices and hospitals aren't really that accessible despite disabled people being sent to them to get forms filled out (endlessly,...and often instead of getting actual healthcare).
THIS! THANK YOU!! Yeah I'm a young disabled adult living with my dad in a hundred yr old home o the top floor so ofc my house isn't ADA compliant but why is the only hospital for miles that was built in the last two decades not have ramps or grap handles in bathrooms??
Yes! Also - unpopular opinion, but parking lots should have enough accessible parking spaces to match the percentage of people who need them! That means somewhere between 12-15% of the parking lot should have the li'l blue ♿. Doctor's offices should have 20% ♿ parking. What do they actually have? 10 ♿ slots per 1000 🚙.
I am an able bodied not-yet-40 year old, but I have a shower seat in my shower and I plan to install grab bars once I can afford in my bathroom once I can afford to buy a house. A ton of stuff designed for disabled people is actually super useful and life-improving for everyone.
@abby_unhinged yes, and everyone arrives as a 2 max assist. I recently switched to med/surg and am on orientation. I swear one of the most difficult concepts for me to work my little brain around is that some med/surg patients are 100% appropriate to shower by themselves. If you're independent with showering at rehab, you were probably ready to discharge home a couple days ago.
I used to think of this, but now my mum has overtaken me. I've come home for Christmas and she has installed small automatic LED lights all up the stairs, and by the step in the kitchen. It is now impossible to walk up the stairs in the dark. All power to her, its brilliant future proofing.
As someone who works in in-patient Rehab, this could not be truer when I visit my parent's! I always tell them I don't want to see them while I'm working. You missed the part about the reachers, adaptive sock aids, and shoe horns though! 😆
I'm an OT assistant, this is absolutely killing me. Also I'm so glad to see a doctor that understands what we do! And tbf i can't live without a handheld shower head and am constantly telling everyone they need to get one. I honestly don't understand how people wash their ass without it
I am disabled, honestly no idea what I would do without my shower chair that has a holder for the handheld shower head and my shower grips on the wall. I DO NOT want ems coming in to pick me up buck naked and bleeding LOL
This hit really close to home for me, especially the part about the medication bottles, my nana had dementia so she would take her pain meds and then doze off for a few minutes waiting for them to kick in, but when she woke up in her mind it was a whole new day and she was hurting again so it was time to take them again. There were a few times that she had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment because of it, she could move very fast when she wanted to and sometimes she got to her pill box before my grandpa could stop her. We gave our grandparents as much independence as possible but my nana having dementia made everything so much more complicated. She passed away just a few weeks shy of meeting her first great-great grandson and I miss her so much, especially during the holidays.
When we had our bathrooms redone 5 years ago, we had grab bars put in all of them. My husband and I had just turned 50. We figured that we weren't planning on redoing the bathrooms in 10 years so we might as well do it and incorporate the grab bars into the design. We can't have bathroom rugs because of our bad cats, but at least we won't trip on them. When my parents just moved to a retirement community condo last year, the condo's designers would not allow them to have carpeting, throw rugs or any kind of tripping hazard in the unit.
I LOVE OTs!!!!! They were the most important part of my recovery - My doctors were incredibly knowledgeable and wonderful, but they seemed to have no understanding of the relationship between my physiological issues and my actual ability to function in day-to-day life. OTs are a blessing.
Honestly a lot of these safety related gifts would delight me. I've always been scared of falling in the shower and I'm only just hitting my mid thirties.
As a 26 year old with an OT, I can confirm, they can help literally anyone. I saw a certified hand therapist OT because I needed help figuring out how to write and do other ADL’s with my ridiculously hypermobile hands and wrists. My OT has mild hypermobility issues too (I have hEDS, she has benign JHS), so she had tons of great tips and advice for me, including things she’s figured out for herself. Before I saw her, I could barely manage to fill out a form, and my hand would fatigue and cramp up within minutes. She suggested a few different pens/pencils, including the Dr. Grip line of products, and it was a life-changing suggestion! I especially love their weighted G-Spec/Center of Gravity pens, and I always have one on hand. She also fitted me with a custom orthotic thumb splint that I wear at night. I have trouble with my left thumb joint popping in towards my hand whenever I straighten it out (it looks like it’s dislocated, but apparently it’s not), and the orthotic keeps it bent forward to help strengthen the supporting muscles while I sleep. She had several other amazing tools and suggestions, especially with kitchen tools, but I could probably write a book if I mentioned all of them.
As an OT I find it chillingly accurate. You can remove the OT from the workplace, but you can never stop his (or her) mind from thinking like an OT. It might be a jobrelated injury or plain and simple brainwashing. Anyway Happy holidays to everyone.
I feel like out of the whole cast, OT gives the best gifts. I would gladly take the gorilla grip shower mat, I've sprained my ankle 5 times and I can't afford any more accidents.
Now that my parents are getting on in years and with a house renovation being planned, I actually find a few good tidbits here to keep in mind for the new place. Grab bars in the bathrooms and extra strong grip bathmats are a must. Still a funny skit. And also informative. 👍
The toilet higher is so much better with arms on the side. If it has a bidget even better. A transfer chair built in or enough room for one to put in priceless. Hand held shower head with hot and cold easily adjust with in reach that has large lettering/pictures on it. I'm in my 60s with serious health issues. I wish I had all of these.
I have interacted with a handful of OTs as my Mom's caregiver. They are all such beautiful people. Merry Christmas to all the OT's. Thank you for being gifts to us caregivers all year round!
As funny as this is the amount of love for Nana and the family here is off the chart! And then, at the end, he saves her from the whole situation. Even though he's "that guy" his heart is in the right place. I love this, thanks so much for posting it!
As a PT I ask my patients a lot of this stuff too! Let's do a BERG and 6 min walk test with Nana to make sure she's not at an increased risk of falls! Also, grippers on your shoes/boots will literally save your butt on icy sidewalks. There are even gripper attachments you can get for canes and walkers. Happy holidays 🥰
As someone who is not yet old or unsteady and still tripped over a rug and hit the wall hard enough to fracture my humerus, I heartily endorse this message. I no longer have rugs.
Got to admit falling in the shower is one of the scariest things that have happened to me and usually means I can’t get up for a few minutes, trapped at the bottom in an uncomfortable position. The non-slip mat I put in my shower really helped
I’m an OT of 18 years. You will never not be an OT outside of work. Haha. It’s such a useful occupation that you will always use it. Good luck in school.
good reminder of things to look for, for older relatives especially. My husband had to stay off of his foot for a year and as a result we have alot of the handicapped equipment in the house. he's mobile again, but they do help with safety. My MIL passed and my FIL is eager to get rid of mobility stuff he doesn't use. I asked for her wheelchair since I'll be having surgery which will impact my mobility for awhile. He was surprised that I asked for the chair and also surprised that we already had most of the mobility/safety devices he's getting rid of.
As an OT I love this. My kids aren't OTs but I felt joy when my adult son talked about bathroom safety in a badly planned bathroom at an open house. Same son gave me a safer 2 step ladder for Christmas
Well Happy Holidays to all OTs. I love my mom’s OT. She just pushes her to do things she didn’t think she could do (after her stroke). They’re just awesome people, along with PTs, of course.
I love how mad he got at the INR of 7, but still knew to bring extra pill organizers. You know he spent the next 2 hours using pill id and filling it for her.
My mum had hip surgery last month and the first thing I did for her was add tennis balls to her hospital issued walker. She was amazed at the difference!
As an OT i can confirm, winter is one of the most dangerous seasons. And every home is a literal death-trap! But if you dont mind that, i will be happy because of you. Because you enable me to keep on working in the job i love
As an emergency person, every single one of these leapt out at me as a possible cause of a 3am ER visit. Holiday blessings upon OT (and to PT as well!)
as a disabled individual in and out of OT since i was a kid... i'm only now realising my occupational therapists trained me to think like this. i've never had a single accident in my wheelchair or shower, though, so i'm grateful for it, but damn. they got me
Omg!!! Thank you!!! I discovered your videos about a few weeks ago and loved them. After doing my occupational therapy clinical rotation in acute rehab at a trauma hospital everything you say is hilarious! So I'm so honored you made one about us OTs!! Looool.
I'm only 32, but have multiple chronic illnesses/disablilties resulting in joint issues and this applies very much to people like me as well...I may also have a habit of analyzing houses for safety issues too. XD
Years ago my mother had a foot issue but was focused on (reasonably) pushing her limits. That's how we discovered the stairs outside her physical therapist had a really loose guardrail. Best we can figure everyone had either taken the ramp or been stable enough on the stairs not to notice. To their credit it got fixed quickly when we pointed it out. It's kinda surprising how easy it can be to miss stuff like that.
For those who can’t get the adjustable height shower head check out the IKEA suction pad handheld shower head holder. We have 3 installed at our place. Cheap, easy to move, and we now have showers at perfect heights for all residents.
Proud cousin to three doctors - an OT, a PT, and a pulmonary physiology tech - who all remind me every time we’re together of what it means to care for others. Every family gathering has at least a couple instances of them checking in on someone, consulting with them with a new problem, or just physically giving them care - PT helping with stretches and watching how your joints move as you walk, OT giving Grandma a shoulder massage and asking about her pain, the pulmonary tech genius checking in on all our elders and discussing respiratory health and risks, or how doctors are helping train people OUT of their activity-induced asthma, etc etc. The amount of love, attention, care, and guidance they show/give to our loved ones constantly impresses and inspires me. Doctors must be brilliant, but it’s especially great when they also have either that natural inclination towards *seeing* and caring for others, or when their occupation brings out their ability to see and care for others so well. It’s an absolute blessing. Cheers to all OT’s out there! Thank you for your hard work and for all the heart you put into it. I hope you receive all that love and care in kind.
I'm not at a stage of life--nor in a profession--that has me looking at shower grab bars and tennis balls on walkers, but I can accurately predict everything a toddler will break or injure themselves on in any room. Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Have some outlet covers!
After years of OH&S training, filling out Risk Assessments, and caring for my disabled father these examples hit home just as hard. Once you're trained to see safety hazards that's all you see. Just the other day I had to pick up a Christmas gift from a warehouse and spotted at least six safety violations walking to the office. Blocked fire exits, tripping hazards everywhere, unsecured pallets of stock not safely stored, etc. The handrail on the stairs had a broken bolt at one end, so using it for support would just cause it to bend. It took all my willpower to not to jump on one of their forklifts (they left the key in it) and start reorganizing everything.
