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Archive for category: Solutions For Living

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Top Activities For Family Day

Monday is Family Day in many provinces across Canada.  Family Day is a great reminder to take time to spend quality moments with those who matter most.

Take a look at our Top 10 Suggestions For Fun Family Day Activities:

1.       Take It Outside:  Though the weather outside is frightful… bundle up and enjoy some outdoor time together.  Take a walk, go snowshoeing, hit an outdoor rink or build a snowman.  Take time with your kids to connect with nature.

2.       Get Competitive:  Playing games is always a great way to spend quality family time together.

3.       Bake Something:  Kids love creating a yummy treat they’ve made themselves and can enjoy.  Check out some recipes from our Food For Thought page or take out a favourite family recipe book.

4.       Re-connect with Relatives:  Sit down together and write a letter, an email or skype with family or friends you haven’t seen in a while.

5.       Get Creative:  Get out your crafts and art supplies and get in touch with your creative side!

6.       Put on a Play:  Dramatic play is great for kids and can be fun for parents too!  Together write a script, put on some dress-up clothes and be dramatic!  You could even video yourselves and share with others.

7.       Dance Dance Dance!:  What kid doesn’t love a good dance party.  Turn up the music and get moving!  Dancing provides great cardio exercise and is fun for the whole family.

8.       Get Cultural:  Many museums and art galleries are open and hosting special events for families on Family Day.  Check with your local museum for special hours and events and enjoy some time as a family learning about something new.

9.       Cuddle Up:  After spending some time outside or being active, curl up with a snack, warm drink and a nice family flick!

10.   Talk to Each Other:  Family day is a great day for conversation around the dinner table.  Most days schedules can be too hectic to actually enjoy time for catching up on each other’s lives.  Make sure to make time to reconnect!

However you decide to spend your Family day, enjoy!

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Postpartum Depression in Men

Postpartum depression is common and, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, affects 8-12% of mothers.  But did you know that this depression can also affect fathers?  Studies show that postpartum depression can affect anywhere from 10-14% of new fathers.  Check out the following article from the Toronto Star to learn more and take a look at our previous blog post “Man Therapy” to learn about some innovative help for men struggling with mental health issues.

The Toronto Star:  Postpartum depression affects one in 10 fathers

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Occupational Therapy’s Important Role in Heart Attack Recovery

February is Heart Month and while many of our blog posts will focus on prevention through good health habits, we want to also provide you with some tips for recovery.  Below is some excellent information from the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) on the role of Occupational Therapy in heart attack recovery.  As a heart attack is a life-altering event, often requiring permanent lifestyle changes, occupational therapists can help people to recover from the initial incident, to rebuild a life of function, and to promote change that will help with prevention.  Thanks to CAOT for your great description of how we help:

Take Heart. You can still do what’s important to you!

Heart disease has a major impact on an individual’s quality of life. It can lead to discomfort or chronic pain, activity limitations, disability and unemployment. “An estimated 345,000 Canadians aged 35 to 64 reported living with heart disease. More than a third (36%) of these reported needing help with household tasks or personal care” (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 1999). Heart disease requires lifestyle changes to prevent progression of the disease, further cardiac events and activity restrictions.

An occupational therapist in conjunction with other team members will help you determine what activities you can safely perform and how to modify activities to decrease the amount of energy required. This is important in achieving the maximum result from limited exercise capacity.

Try these occupational therapy strategies…

1. Use body mechanics: Smooth, rhythmic and repetitive motions are easier on your heart. Remember to breathe regularly. Avoid lifting or carrying heavy objects. Sit to work whenever possible, for example when ironing or chopping vegetables. Avoid lifting or carrying heavy objects. Slide objects or use a cart if possible. Change position frequently; this allows different muscles to work, increases circulation and prevents fatigue.

2. Simplify tasks: Break the activity into small steps, i.e. preparation, activity, clean-up and final phase. Take frequent small breaks throughout the activity rather than fewer long rest periods. Adjust work heights and areas to fit you. The most frequently used items should be located between waist and chest heights. Avoid working with arms above shoulder level.

3. Remember physical conditioning: Follow a regular cardiovascular exercise program as approved by your physician. An important element in maintaining cardiovascular activities is enjoyment; be creative – park a distance from work and walk in, join a mall walking program, exercise with a friend.

4. Recognize emotions: Anger, frustration, anxiety, and stress all increase the heart rate. Be aware of what creates stress for you and how you handle it. Try not to bottle up feelings – build your supports and talk to them. Decide on your priorities and learn when to say “No”. Pay attention to the activities that are stressful and schedule yourself accordingly, i.e. avoid unnecessary driving in rush hour and bad weather. Get enough sleep, rest, and maintain healthy eating habits. Work off tension appropriately.

http://www.caot.ca/default.asp?pageid=3703

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OT Can Help with Visual Impairment

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

My grandmother is legally blind.  She first lost her hearing in her 60’s but managed this well with hearing aids and the ability to lip read.  She also learned some sign language.  Then, in her 70’s, her sight also started to fail her.  This progressed until she was left with what she calls “cheese cloth” and shadow vision in her right eye and minimal, if any, vision in her left.  While adjusting to failing sight was of course difficult for her, adjusting to also losing the ability to lip read and communicate with people was an even bigger challenge.  She had always used her vision to compensate for her hearing loss and this was no longer an option.

As an occupational therapist I have worked with people who have low vision, and can say that no two people will experience this the same.  First of all, vision loss, and legal blindness, do not mean total blindness, so the first step is always trying to understand what people can see and the ways their vision continues to work (or not) for them.   This of course involves multiple professionals, but as occupational therapy is about “function” we need to look at how their vision works, and doesn’t work, in the environments in which they live and access.

Of course, safety is always the primary concern when dealing with vision loss.  Safety in the home involves looking at fall risk, ease of mobility, cooking and meal preparation, and of course the ability to respond to an emergency.  In the community this involves how someone with vision loss can negotiate roads and streets, manage around other people, complete paperwork at stores and offices, and avoid compromising situations such as becoming victimized or managing money transactions.  Transportation is also an issue and getting from A to B usually involves the use of an attendant, taxi, or walking via a service dog or with the use of a white cane (which is mainly used to notify others of a visual impairment and to detect obstacles).

So as an occupational therapist, what type of strategies do we employ?  Well, of course it will vary depending on the amount of vision someone has and of course the functional tasks they want to achieve.  But here are the main ways we help:

Sleep – insomnia is a significant problem for people with vision loss.  Lack of sight can impact the sleep / wake cycle and restlessness is a common problem.  Yet, with poor sleep comes poor physical, emotional and cognitive function in the days following so addressing sleep issues is very important.  For this we can help by suggesting sleep and relaxation CD’s, mindfulness methods to reduce anxiety and mental unrest, and positioning aids to promote comfort.  Helping people to creating predictable sleep / wake cycles is also important.  Some audiobooks are also helpful provided they promote cognitive rest, and not cognitive stimulation.  We also discourage television or computer use, or listening to news or world events before bed as this can also stimulate the mind making sleep more difficult.

Personal Care – it is very important that someone with a visual impairment have a consistent personal care routine.  This helps to promote sleep / wake cycles and keeps the body on a predictable schedule.  The bathroom can be a very unsafe place if equipment is not provided to ensure transfers in / out of the shower or tub are safe, it is easy to get on / off the toilet without grabbing the towel rack, and to prevent falls that can be common in this space.  Organization is key to ensuring that the individual can find the items they need when they need them, without unnecessary and timely searching.  Lighting and contrast on bottles or counters, and using shapes to identify objects is helpful.

Cooking – there are many ways to address function in the kitchen, but the main ingredient is always organization.  People with visual impairment need things to be consistently placed where they expect to find them.  Their ability to search and locate is impaired, and thus it is inefficient (and unsafe) for them to be rummaging through drawers or cupboards to find cooking utensils or other items.  Color contrast is also important.  Using tape, foam, Dycem, stickers, markers, or even shelf paper we can adjust surfaces to promote contrast or to re-label items in larger print.  Items can also be purchased in different colors or shapes, depending on what is easier for the individual to see.  There are several other devices and tools that can also be used to help someone with a visual impairment to know when they have filled a pot or glass, to know the buttons on the microwave, to more safely chop or cut, and lighting in the space is very important (but note that too bright and too dark can both be problematic).

Technology – there are many technology aids and devices that can promote the function of someone who is visually impaired.  Voice recognition software, text to talk technology, closed circuit readers, and Siri-managed phones and tablets.  Using a computer, someone who is visually impaired can order groceries online, do their banking, shop, communicate with others, read the paper, and interact with the world.  This allows them to function in needed and purposeful ways, but safely and independently.

As you can tell, most of these suggestions involve the environment and modifying this to promote function.  That is really the heart of occupational therapy – if we can’t change the person or the impairments they experience, we can at least adjust their environment to accommodate their needs, compensate for any deficits and promote independence.  But this of course also requires the by-in from other people using the space as without the entire family on board, the strategies could get lost after implementation.

My grandmother functions extremely well for someone with both hearing and vision loss.  She is probably the smartest person I know at 88 years old.  I fully believe that she now compensates for her deficits with her extremely sharp mind that allows her to retain and remember everything.  As my dad says “she is blind in one eye and sharp as a tack in the other”.  She is an inspiration and has managed to adjust to some significant challenges in her later years.  However, I do get concerned when I visit and she wants me to read her scale so she knows how much she weighs.  I always ask her what she wants to hear and her response is something along the lines of “you are a rotten kid”…something her and my grandfather always called me – especially when I took a quarter off them playing cribbage.

 

Originally posted February 2015

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Practice Safe Shovelling

Shovelling snow is not only a requirement (based on your municipality) and a way to mitigate liability, but it ensures your safety and that of others.  Shovelling can be strenuous work, therefore it’s important to use the proper tools and techniques to reduce the risk of injury.  The following from Toronto Paramedic Services provides you with some great information on how to shovel safely.

Toronto Paramedic Services:  Snow Shovelling

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The Anxiety of Social Media

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Co-written with Jacquelyn Bonneville, Occupational Therapist

I can only imagine how it must feel to be a teenager in today’s era of technology and social media.  When I was young, our social circles were those we could call, or see at school, in the neighborhood, at camp, or when playing sports.  If we did something wrong, embarrassing, or “bad” it could only ripple so far in the small puddle that surrounded us.  Now, that puddle is an ocean and our activities, photos, thoughts and feelings can not only reach people that we would not otherwise engage with, but can extend across continents.

Over the last decade researchers have been attempting to capture the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media, with mixed results. Social media platforms include websites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. People of all ages are engaging in social media, as it becomes one of the most predominant forms of communication. Social media has its benefits and risks, and as the rate of anxiety in North America rises it is important to consider how and why you may be using social media, and what it may be doing to your health.

In some ways, social media is not a new concept at its core. Humans have always desired information, gratification, and social exchange to a certain extent – they also require opportunities to de-stress, to socially disengage, or to feel surrounded by others and yet not obliged to interact with them. Social media trends have made it increasingly more difficult to switch off, leading many to feel constantly bombarded by notifications of what others are doing, thinking, saying, feeling (good or bad).

The concept of instant gratification is now more prominent than ever, with instant “likes”, comments, “re-tweets”, or number of “shares” available, and many strive to measure their social success in these numbers. As social media instant gratification is almost a new norm in society, this is likely to transcend into offline world. How will this expectation of instant gratification affect our ability to be patient with life events that typically take a long time to achieve, such as relationships or career development? What is all this pressure to be well-liked (literally) on social media doing to teens who are developing their social identities in the midst of a social, public world? What does online popularity mean for people who are easily influenced, or have low self-esteem and self-concept? These are questions many therapists are now addressing regularly in sessions with teens and adults alike.

You may have heard hot-topic terms like Facebook Addiction Disorder and Social Media Anxiety Disorder; though neither of these are valid diagnoses currently, it points to the notion that a serious shift is happening in our society. Social Media helps us to create a highlight-reel of our lives – either the life we are living, or the life we want to live – and we only post the things we want people to see and this is often enhanced, truth-stretched, fabricated, sepia-toned, and cropped. It leads people to believe that this is what college is supposed to be like, or what my summer is supposed to look like, or how I’m supposed to look as a mother out with my children. Some literature suggests that social media may be holding us up to completely unrealistic expectations, resulting in us feeling less pride for our accomplishments, and more anxious about how we may be measuring up. For more information on this, and an interesting video of youth explaining social media related anxiety, check out these two articles:

The Very Real Anxiety That Comes From Texting, ‘Likes’ And FOMO

Yale psychiatrist has one explanation for why students these days are so anxious

A study published by The New York Times in 2015 reports anxiety is now the #1 mental health diagnosis on college campuses. The constant comparisons, fear of missing out (or ‘FOMO’ as it is often phrased), and misinterpretations of texts are certainly impacting the mental wellness of people of all ages. As a result, anxiety rates are rising exponentially.

Self-reflection is an important tool often encouraged by therapists to help you understand your own behaviour. Occupational Therapists may encourage self-reflection through mindfulness techniques. For instance, why do you use social media? Look at your last status update or picture upload; why did you post that? Maybe the last interaction with social media you had was to write a comment on a co-worker’s LinkedIn profile, and you believe the reason why you did so was to support their competency of certain skills in hopes of maybe boosting their reputation. Now, think deeper than that, to subconscious reasons that may have also motivated you for doing this: Does it make you look like a good coworker or friend for doing that? Does it help spread your name to gain more connections based on who views their profile? Would you be even a little upset if they didn’t return the favour? So, it is important to ask yourself the question: Why am I really posting this? How does it make me feel afterwards? How am I hoping to make others feel?  Do I have a motive deeper than a simple “like”?

It is important to check-in with yourself regarding your thoughts about social media and why you use it, and to respect that the youth of today have entirely different challenges socially than you may have had. To completely withdraw from social media, or to stop your children from using it entirely, may actually be more harmful than good. However, if your urge to use social media becomes so strong that it is negatively affecting your relationships, work, enjoyment in your accomplishments, time-spending, or if it’s making you feel anxious, professionals like Occupational Therapists (especially those with additional training in Psychotherapy) can be an excellent resource to help get you back to functioning in a way that is meaningful and enjoyable for you. OTs are experts and understanding competing life demands, and have a wealth of experience and knowledge helping people to rebalance into productive function.

For other strategies on how to attempt to manage social media related anxiety, check out:

How to Calm Your Social Media Anxiety

In the end, the verdict is still out on the benefits and risks of social media – from a mental health perspective.  Personally, I could not find what I could call “authenticity” on Facebook but still found myself checking this too often.  So I decided to go on a hiatus and have not returned.  I miss the funny videos and seeing photos of my friends’ children, but don’t miss the ads, bothersome images, or personal crusades that people use this platform to promote.  The most important thing here is behavioral regulation – check your screen time, understand your thoughts, feelings and behaviors when engaging in Social Media and make changes if you are not happy with what you find.  And good luck – kicking or changing any habit is not easy!

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Let’s Talk About Mental Health

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day in Canada.  Again this year Bell will be raising funds to support mental health initiatives across Canada and to help put a stop to the stigma surrounding mental health.  Take a look at these 5 great ways to help end the stigma and watch one of this year’s powerful videos.

 

Remember to tweet using the hashtag #BellLetsTalk and/or share the Bell Let’s Talk Day image to generate a 5 cent donation by Bell!

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Accessible Clothing Can Be Fashionable Too!

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Co-Written with Jacquelyn Bonneville, Occupational Therapist

As occupational therapists, we often see clients experience issues with dressing after an injury or as a result of a disability.  How do you dress when you have one arm?  Or, how can you don pants, socks and shoes when you have not feeling or movement in your lower body?  What about managing zippers and buttons with reduced fine motor control?  Spasms, reduced range of motion, the inability to stand for dressing, or body changes that make clothing options limited?  There are many reasons why dressing can become a problem.

As a society use fashion for several reasons – to manage the weather, for privacy from sensitive parts, and as an expression of ourselves.  Clothing and clothing choices are important.

Business-wear and athletic wear are two areas of fashion that are generally limiting for persons with dressing challenges.  For this blog we wanted to introduce some simple, but still fashionable and functional, adaptations that can help manage the task of dressing if this has become difficult!

Lock Laces or Elastic Shoe Laces

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Elastic and lock shoelaces are permanently tied, and allow for stretch of the shoe when putting it on or taking it off. This makes it a functional, inexpensive solution for anyone who doesn’t want to worry about their laces coming undone (especially athletes!), or for people who struggle with tying their shoelaces tight enough, or with the intricacies of actually tying the laces.  Note that often these are great in combination with a long handled shoehorn.

Nike Flyease LeBron Sneakers

Nike LeBron Flyease Sneakers (http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/zoom-lebron-soldier-9-flyease-basketball-shoe/pid-10327129/pgid-10327127)

Nike recently announced their release of slip-on ‘wrap-around-fasten’ shoes that are fashionable, basketball style high-top sneakers (designed with basketball superstar LeBron James). Though designed for young adults with Cerebral Palsy initially, this shoe is suitable for anyone who wants some stylish sneakers, without the hassle of laces. See the press release for more information and a video explaining the story behind these sneakers.

Under Armour Magzip

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Zippers are often an integral part of our Canadian Fall and Winter attire to help secure our clothing to keep us warm. Zippers can actually be very challenging to co-ordinate for many reasons, and Under Armour tackled “fixing the zipper” in 2014 with their Magzip technology in a variety of unisex athletic-wear styles. The bottom part of the zipper is magnetic, meaning that it is far easier to ‘thread’ and pull up than a standard zipper, without sacrificing athletic hoodie style. See the press release for more information and a video explaining the technology.

One-handed Snap-Belts

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Standard business attire (or even picture day at elementary school) often calls for a nice belt, and there are many options available online for snap-belts that do not require the threading of a traditional belt such as the RD Adaptive Apparel Snap-Belt pictured here.

Rollin Wear Jeans

jeans

 

 

 

 

 

Jeans are a staple of many wardrobes, but they certainly shift and move when people are sitting or standing. For people who spend a lot of time sitting, including office workers and people who use wheelchairs, jeans can be extremely uncomfortable; jeans regularly have rivets on the back pocket which can cause discomfort while seated, they have the same rise around the waist so when you sit they are either too low or bunch up, and the front button can dig into your waist when you sit down.

Rollinwear has designed a line of jeans designed for wheelchair users that offer an easier ring to work the zipper, a clasp instead of a front button, and are overall designed with the different body position of a person while sitting instead of standing. Be sure to look online for other companies offering similar adaptive jean designs!

Part of the role of Occupational Therapy is to have insight and knowledge about products that will help an individual function independently, without sacrificing style, priorities, or efficiency. For more information about customized products that may work for your individual needs, speak with an Occupational Therapist!

As a last inspiring thought, check out this link to the story of a beautiful athletic-wear teen model with Down Syndrome who is changing perceptions of disability, while being stylish at the same time.

 

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National Non-Smoking Week– Be a Quitter!

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

National Non-Smoking week aside, are you ready to butt out?  According to Smoke Free Ontario, smoking takes approximately 13000 lives in Ontario each and every year.  However, the good news is that the number of smokers continues to decrease yearly, and is currently at 18.1%.  Are you in for reducing this number further?

Apparently, quitting smoking is extremely difficult and many need to try different approaches before finally kicking the habit.  For many smokers it becomes more about the habit and the behavior, than the nicotine itself.  So how can you butt out?  Our team of experienced Occupational Therapists have some great solutions for you to try:

1.    Make Your Intentions Public:  The decision to quit takes a great deal of courage and should be celebrated.  Make your intentions public within your family or friends, or by using social media for a larger reach.  By making your goal to quit public it will help hold you accountable and to draw on those close to you to lean on for support.

2.    Devise a Plan:  Quitting cold turkey can be extremely difficult.  We recommend that you create a monthly or weekly plan to reduce your intake and set you well on your way.  This might be as simple as reducing one cigarette per day for a week or a month, then reducing again etc.

3.    Identify Triggers:  While working through your monthly or weekly plan to reduce the amount of cigarettes you consume, ensure you are keeping track of the amount you smoke each day, the times of day you smoke and what in your environment has triggered you to have a cigarette.  Tracking any behavior is the best way to isolate it and is the first step to making improvements.

4.    Modify your environment to help reduce these triggers:  After conducting your research look closely at the time of day, environment, people, stressors or other triggers that promoted your need or wanting to smoke. Is it possible to change your situation or environment to avoid these triggers moving forward?

5.    Work to reduce stress:  Many smoke as a reaction to stress.  Finding ways to reduce stress, such as meditation and mindfulness practice, taking a hot bath, or breathing exercises can help you to reduce this trigger.

6.    Find a healthier habit:  If it’s the “break” you find is your trigger try finding a different way to take 5 minutes to yourself.  Take a quick walk, try yoga poses, grab a warm beverage, phone a friend or practice breathing exercises instead.

7.    Seek Support:  By making your intentions to quit public you have opened yourself up to a group of family and friends to rely on and assist you in your goal to quit.  If these sources are not available, try phoning the Smokers Hotline or join a support group to speak with someone who can help you through your craving and keep you smoke free.

8.    Seek an Alternative Solution:  There are so many different products in the marketplace to assist you with quitting such as:  gums, e-cigarettes, inhalers, and patches.  Find which one works for you and rely on this to assist you along the way.

9.    Speak to Your Doctor:  Your family doctor is a great resource and will gladly support you in your quest to break the habit.  Speak with your doctor about the alternative solutions and medications that exist that can help you quit.  Your doctor may also connect you to OHIP-funded resources that you can access to support you in your quest.

10.  Celebrate Your Success:  Ensure that along the way you celebrate any milestones you have reached.  If you’ve worked for a week or a month to cut your daily intake by 5 cigarettes, reward yourself and share your news with those you love.  This will help to keep you focussed and lead to further success!

11.   Reword the goal if needed:  Yes “quitting smoking” might be the BIG goal, but under this there are layers of other goals that you can focus on that might seem less intimidating and are more fun to measure.  Maybe your smaller goals include walking upstairs without becoming breathless, having whiter teeth, or not wanting your clothing or home to smell like cigarette smoke.  Perhaps if you relate to a more practical goal that is tangible, measurable, and visible to others, your motivation might be enhanced.

12.   Watch for other bad habits to surface:  Sometimes when trying to move from one bad habit we pick up another.  With any reduction in a negative behavior there will be withdrawal.  Accept this and cope through it for the days it lasts, knowing that those symptoms too shall pass.  But when struggling through withdrawal, try not to adopt another bad habit as a coping mechanism.  Switching from smoking to eating unhealthy food or consuming more alcohol will not help you to achieve the ultimate result you want which is to improve your health.

13.   Don’t just change your behavior, change your LIFESTYLE:  Adopting a new way of living, and talking to others about this, is far more impactful and motivating then talking about a behavior change.  When people say “I am trying to lose weight” it is not nearly as impactful as “I have a sugar-free lifestyle” or “I have changed my lifestyle to achieve my health goals”.  Make a LIFESTYLE change to be healthy and let the behaviors follow.

14.  If at first you don’t succeed… try try again!

For more resources and tips to help you along the way visit www.smokershelpline.ca or www.quitnow.ca.

We wish you the best of luck and encourage you to BE A QUITTER this 2016!

 

Originally posted, January 2015.

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Top Tips to Achieve your Healthy Resolutions

It’s easy to think of resolutions each new year.  We all have vices, bad habits, and things we know we can improve upon or want to change about ourselves.  The hard part is achieving these goals, especially as we move further away from January 1st.

The majority of resolutions tend to focus upon creating a healthier diet, getting more exercise and other activities that lead to an overall healthier lifestyle.  The following from Eat Right Ontario provides some great tips that can help you to achieve these healthier lifestyle goals in 2016.

Eat Right Ontario:  Resolutions you can live by