1. Delirium
My favorite talks were about delirium, which I am a little bit fascinated by. How did I get to be 54 years old and never hear of this? It seems like every layperson I know classifies any mental lapse by a senior as "Alzheimer's" but often the issue is temporary and OTs have a bunch of ways they can make it go away. I wish I was skilled enough to convey more, but it fascinating stuff.
2. Seating Positioning
The talk that was most related to my job was about seating positioning and its effects on adults and the elderly. Wheelchair positioning is especially important because many people who use wheelchairs sit in that exact position for long periods of time. Their needs and the techniques to meet them are a big science that I got a taste of.
3. Performance Based Cognitive Assessments
When you are recovering, your Occupational Therapist will likely ask you to do simple tasks and answer questions. But they are not-so-secretly spying on you, measuring your performance, and reporting it. Then they are tracking your progress. It is all a secret plot to see how they can help you the most. There are a bunch of these tests and I'm confident that I could possibly pass some of them.
4. (BONUS!) - An Occupational Therapy Joke.
Did you hear about the Occupational Therapist who had a female patient that thought she was a flamingo? She had to put her foot down.
Thanks to the AOTA for hosting a great conference including great snacks.
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