Living Life Worthy of the Calling

I have gained so much from the Neuro Aspects of Occupational Performance course. It has been one of my favorite courses thus far. The media project was meaningful for many reasons. One reason I found this assignment significant was because it required me to think outside the box. It required me to be creative and unique. Secondly, it gave me the opportunity to do what an occupational therapist does. Lastly, I was able to apply what I have learned in class. I have learned that intervention is most effective through meaningful and engaging activities. After reading my client’s case study I had to use my creativity to come up with an activity that matched her values, interests so it would be meaningful to her.   Throughout this project I learned that with creativity you can turn anything into something useful and valuable. I realized that fancy equipment and expensive materials isn’t always necessary for a productive intervention. We can often find things around that house that hav

Movie: You’re Not You – Amazon Prime $3.99 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE0m-N-b1VA You’re Not You is a movie with great insight on the neurodegenerative disease, ALS.  After Kate was diagnosed with ALS, they hire a caregiver, Beck. Beck has little experience working with individuals with this disease and that’s made evident throughout the movie. Throughout the movie we see the relationship between Kate and Beck grow into a close friendship. I liked this movie because of how real it was. Beck is so real and honest with Kate. This movie also shows how progressive ALS is and how it can take a toll on not only the individuals life but the lives all around them. Another thing I liked about this movie was the fact that Beck treated her like a friend and took her out to do things. It’s a great reminder that just because someone is disabled doesn’t mean they aren’t able to participate in fun activities that everyone else gets to enjoy.  One thing I took away from this m

Ted Talk: How my Dad’s Dementia Changed My Idea of Death (and Life) – Beth Malone  Link:  https://www.ted.com/talks/beth_malone_how_my_dad_s_dementia_changed_my_idea_of_death_and_life/up-next For my third neuro note I listened to a TED talk on the topic of dementia. I chose to listen to this because of the history my family has with dementia. I thought it would be good to hear another person’s point of view and interpretation of this disease. In this TED talk, Beth gives insight on how she’s coping with her father’s dementia. Beth explains that she doesn’t understand why or how her father would think this life was worth living. She assumes death would be much better for her dad.  She talks about how her and her family talk about his death a lot but she wishes they would have talked about it more when they were all healthy. She even asks “what does my best death look like?”  I can’t imagine the pain she is going through. I think everyone’s biggest fear is losing a loved one a

Documentary: Gleason Amazon Prime $2.99  Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgkQU32XSFQ Website: http://www.teamgleason.org Gleason was one of the hardest documentaries I have ever watched. It was also one of the most inspiring documentaries I have watched. I chose this documentary to gain insight on the disease ALS and the impact it has on someone’s life. This documentary takes you  through the life of  Steve Gleason, a retired New Orleans Saint NFL player, after he discovers his diagnosis of ALS. 6 weeks after the diagnosis, Steve and his wife find out they are having a baby. Knowing that this fatal disease is progressive he decides to start video blogs to pass on to his son Rivers once he has passed.  Throughout the documentary you can see how progressive the disease is. Month after month he loses his ability to walk. He first uses a cane, and then a walker, and then eventually a wheelchair. They have therapist that come in and educate his wife and his caretaker