Getting dressed in the morning, commuting to work or school and shopping at the grocery store come as second nature for many of us. We鈥檙e fortunate in that we can do these day-to-day tasks without having to think about each movement along the way.
But that鈥檚 not the case for everyone, and that鈥檚 why students in Rush University鈥檚 Occupational Therapy Doctorate program created 鈥渙ccupation kits.鈥 Sarah Czyszczon, second-year OTD student and president of the Student Occupational Therapy Association, says the kits are designed to make daily tasks more accessible to patients at Rush Specialty Hospital.
鈥淢y cohort created a money management kit, so we included things like wallets and fake money and credit cards,鈥 she says. 鈥淐lients manipulate the money or swipe the credit card like they would in the grocery store.鈥
Creating a kit: It鈥檚 all in the details
To create a kit, students spend a lot of time delving into the neuroscience of various conditions and brainstorming. They decide what types of kits would be helpful and which items to include in them.
鈥淟et鈥檚 say someone had a hemorrhagic stroke, and now they don鈥檛 have good use of their upper extremities or hands,鈥 Czyszczon says. 鈥淗ow can we make daily activities feasible for these patients in a way that doesn鈥檛 just exist within the inpatient rehab setting, but also translates as they get discharged and go back home?鈥
Czyszczon and her cohort had to think about things like providing clients with larger wallets with fewer pouches or pencils with foam attachments that make it easier for them to write and fill out checks.
鈥淲e call it activity analysis 鈥 looking into the details behind going into your wallet, taking out a dollar bill and handing it to a cashier,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e considering all the nuances of an occupation.鈥
A partnership that puts patients first
Students have also created kits for cleaning, navigating public transportation and gardening. When they鈥檙e complete, the kits are taken to the Rush Specialty Hospital where clients can practice with them.
鈥淭he kits really elicit a sense of normalcy and routine into these patients' days. It turns what is maybe tedious or difficult therapy into something that鈥檚 engaging and fun,鈥 Czyszczon says.
Each occupation kit is carefully made to either improve motor skills or cognition. Czyszczon says there has been an overwhelming response from the specialty hospital.
鈥淭he partnership between OTD and the Rush Specialty Hospital is huge,鈥 she says. 鈥淣ot only does it benefit the patients by giving them additional practice with real-life occupations, but it is so heartwarming for us students to know we are helping.鈥
