Speakers from Concordia University Ann Arbor spoke Feb. 18 about how occupational therapy can help patients with disabilities become more independent.
The talk was one of many in the “Med Talk” series hosted by Career Services, which educates students about careers in the medical field.
Juliane Chreston, professor and program director for the occupational therapy doctorate at Concordia, spoke about how occupational therapists can impact the lives of young people who suffer injury. She told the story of a 17-year-old boy, Matt, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident and needed the support of occupational therapists to accomplish daily tasks.
“He had difficulties with his cognitive skills,” Chreston said. “His ability to problem solve, concentrate, initiate tasks, those kinds of things.”
Chreston said Matt needed help doing basic, everyday tasks because of his injuries. With the organization Rehab Without Walls, a team of therapists helped him regain some independence.
“He needed 24-hour supervision,” Chreston said. “So here’s this 17 year old needing help with bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, and spending his day with older women telling him what to do.”
According to Chreston, her team worked on helping Matt be independent in the bathroom by installing proper supports. Later, they were able to give him more privacy by giving him song cues to keep him on task. Finally, Matt’s team was able to get him into an apartment with his older sister as his caregiver.
Chreston said occupational therapists can work in hospitals, schools, or even in the military.
“I had a graduate who went into the army and served on the front lines of Afghanistan,” Chreston said. “He was working with soldiers and some of the PTSD they experienced. Wherever there’s people, we can work.”
Concordia admissions counselor and outreach specialist Laura Nail spoke about the admissions process for their Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program and gave students advice on things to look out for when pursuing graduate education.
“Go to the schools, see the facilities, and see where you feel comfortable,” Nail said. “Let that give you a road map as you’re starting to look at those graduate applications.”
Sophomore Maddie Krappmann said the talk helped her learn about the relationships occupational therapists form with their patients.
“The talk taught me how involved you are in someone’s life as an OT,” Krappmann said. “You get to know the person you are seeing on a deeper level, and I think forming relationships like that is incredibly special.”
