The Rancho Los Amigos Scale is used to evaluate a patient following a brain injury. The levels are based on observations of the patient’s responses to the environment. It provides insight into their progress during recovery and rehabilitation. The occupational therapist supports the team and the patient throughout their recovery based on their level of … Read more
BONUS: Take the OT Dude GCS Quiz at the end to test your knowledge. Here are some ways I remembered how to to calculate the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) when I was an EMT (and used it daily). This is important to know well because (1) it may show up on your NBCOT Exam (2) … Read more
Memory books (not to be confused with Life Storybooks) can be useful tools to help patients with memory difficulties function in their environment. SLP often introduces memory books to patients when they can benefit from them. Memory books are often more successful when the interdisciplinary team is aware of its existence, purpose, location, and priorities … Read more
Introduction In my mental health rotation at an outpatient behavioral health setting, one of the previous students created a nostalgia book for one of the social and leisure groups. It was a very creative book that contained photographs and pictures of pop culture, media, products, and historical events aimed for older adults. Although this nostalgia … Read more
What is the difference between visual field cuts (VFD) and neglect? What is a field cut? What is inattention? Why does it often occur on the left side? Is there such a thing as right-sided neglect? How do patients present differently for all of the above? How does a field cut or neglect affect ADLs? … Read more