Media Project: Two of a Kind

The case study assigned to me was about an 83 year old man named Maurice who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease about 10 years ago. On the handout was a long list of details about his medical history, things he struggled to do and the difficulties his wife had observed but toward the end of the paragraph was written "when asked about his main concern at the moment, Maurice says he is worried he will get bored and/or lonely if he doesn't get to return home in the near future." When working with a client it is important for the OT to address basic needs for living (toileting, feeding, sleeping, etc) but a core concept in OT is inquiring and addressing what the client considers to be important to them. Since Maurice mentioned his worry about being bored in his new living facility I felt that was a good place to start when thinking of ideas to create with popsicle sticks. I ran with this idea and slowly built on my idea taking into consideration his other medical conditions.

I don't know if "changed as a result of this project" is the right phrasing but it did open my eyes to how multidimensional coming up with an activity for a client can be. Maurice's case study was not a straightforward scenario. Not only does he have Parkinson's Disease but he also has cataracts in both eyes, elevated extensor tone in his neck and trunk, and pain in both hands, knees, and hips. As a hypothetical therapist, it was difficult to think of interventions that he would be able to do or wouldn't cause him pain despite his other various symptoms. This assignment reinforced the idea that OT can be a very trial and error kind of job. What works for some clients won't work for others because no two clients will be identical and require the same interventions or tools. The first idea might not always work or might need to be adjusted to create the "just right" fit for a client. This concept I feel is applicable to projects and assignments in school but is also applicable to working in the field whether on fieldwork or in the actual profession.