Living Life Worthy of the Calling

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 aw...

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...

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 hi...

Movie: The Upside – featuring Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston  Source: Amazon Prime Video - $4.99 (rent)  Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWw7rCHcduQ The Upside is an American remake of the French movie “The Intouchables.”  This movie was based on a true story of a man who was became a quadriplegic after a paragliding accident. The movie starts out showing Phillip Lacasse and his assistant interviewing for the position of a life auxiliary. Philip, the billionaire who was paralyzed from the neck down after experiencing a spinal cord injury during paragliding, is needing someone to help assist him throughout the day. He ends up hiring Dell, a guy who only came in to get employment papers signed for his parole officer. Dell has no experience with working with disabled individuals which is quite comical at time. Throughout the movie we see the struggles Philip goes through with being paralyzed and the depression from losing his wife. Dell is determi...

The OTPF discusses mobility in two ways, functional and community. Mobility needed in basic activities of daily living (functional) followed by mobility needed in instrumental activities of daily living (community). The Hierarchy of mobility skills follows that. It gives a guide for which mobility needs to be addressed during therapy. The order for restoring mobility confidence for a client is bed mobility, mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation for ADL, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility, and community mobility and driving. Based on everything we have learned; I am not surprised by this order on this approach.  I believe it is the most appropriate way to address mobility. Throughout labs, we have learned that the most important thing to consider when working on mobility is a client’s safety. This sequence works from the bottom up. Each level requires a certain amount of skill that is address...