Throughout this semester my classes have been taking about the importance of adaptability in OT. This skill was "put to the test" in my Neuro Aspects class with our most recent project. We were given a common item and had to create a product to help our client. Each client had a story so we knew their back story, diagnosis, interests, etc.
My client was Jane, a nurse who enjoys hanging out with friends, cooking, gardening and making pottery and was recently diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. My item was a plastic or metal hanger. I made a wire stand that can be used to prop up a phone, tablet, paper, or book. I thought this would be a good item for Jane so she focus on conserving her energy while doing things she loves, instead of walking back and forth to read directions, instructions, etc. because GBS causes extreme fatigue.
This project really made me step outside of the box and use my OT brain. My biggest take away from this project was the amount of creativity and resourcefulness needed to complete this project. I would say that I can be creative and resourceful, but this project really made me think about the best way to help my client with limited resources. Through this project I learned 21 different ways that a hanger can be used such as, plate display, key ring, drain cleaner, and a bubble blower. I was quite surprised that there were so many different uses for something as simple as a hanger! This project also got me thinking about what I would do in the future if I had a similar situation with a client. In the future, I would consult outside sources earlier. For this project, I thought about how I could possibly use a hanger to create something, and got rather frustrated that I couldn't come up with anything. After a couple days of frustration I consulted Pinterest, which I found to be very helpful. I also talked to other classmates who had the same client and took notes with the direction they were going with their items. This project made me apply the concept of adaptability in OT that I've been learning about this past semester and it made me realize that you can make an "OT product" with just about anything and that if you get stumped it is always a great idea to ask for help.
Here are some pictures of my project and how it can be used!
My client was Jane, a nurse who enjoys hanging out with friends, cooking, gardening and making pottery and was recently diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. My item was a plastic or metal hanger. I made a wire stand that can be used to prop up a phone, tablet, paper, or book. I thought this would be a good item for Jane so she focus on conserving her energy while doing things she loves, instead of walking back and forth to read directions, instructions, etc. because GBS causes extreme fatigue.
This project really made me step outside of the box and use my OT brain. My biggest take away from this project was the amount of creativity and resourcefulness needed to complete this project. I would say that I can be creative and resourceful, but this project really made me think about the best way to help my client with limited resources. Through this project I learned 21 different ways that a hanger can be used such as, plate display, key ring, drain cleaner, and a bubble blower. I was quite surprised that there were so many different uses for something as simple as a hanger! This project also got me thinking about what I would do in the future if I had a similar situation with a client. In the future, I would consult outside sources earlier. For this project, I thought about how I could possibly use a hanger to create something, and got rather frustrated that I couldn't come up with anything. After a couple days of frustration I consulted Pinterest, which I found to be very helpful. I also talked to other classmates who had the same client and took notes with the direction they were going with their items. This project made me apply the concept of adaptability in OT that I've been learning about this past semester and it made me realize that you can make an "OT product" with just about anything and that if you get stumped it is always a great idea to ask for help.
Here are some pictures of my project and how it can be used!
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