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’re fortunate in that we can do these day-to-day tasks without having to think about each movement along the way.
But that’s not the case for everyone, and that’s why students in Rush University’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program created “occupation kits.” 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.
“My cohort created a money management kit, so we included things like wallets and fake money and credit cards,” she says. “Clients manipulate the money or swipe the credit card like they would in the grocery store.”
Creating a kit: It’s 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.
“Let’s say someone had a hemorrhagic stroke, and now they don’t have good use of their upper extremities or hands,” Czyszczon says. “How can we make daily activities feasible for these patients in a way that doesn’t just exist within the inpatient rehab setting, but also translates as they get discharged and go back home?”
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.
“We call it activity analysis — looking into the details behind going into your wallet, taking out a dollar bill and handing it to a cashier,” she says. “We’re considering all the nuances of an occupation.”
A partnership that puts patients first
Students have also created kits for cleaning, navigating public transportation and gardening. When they’re complete, the kits are taken to the Rush Specialty Hospital where clients can practice with them.
“The 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’s engaging and fun,” 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.
“The partnership between OTD and the Rush Specialty Hospital is huge,” she says. “Not 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.”
