Working PRN at the SNF on weekends, it can get a little lonely. I much prefer the weekdays of Christmas break and Summer break that I get to work with the entire team! Since I have known them all so long...and they know my ways...I like to leave little silly notes for them like the one I left the OT one Saturday..."Note to self: Leave Darla chocolate in bottom drawer" to which I was pleasantly surprised the next weekend when I discovered a full size Hershey bar in his bottom drawer!
Since my daughter goes to work with me most of the time, she draws the weekday therapists pictures or invades the OT craft station and creates them a unique little gift.
Little gifts made of tissue paper and pipe cleaners are always nice, but I like to leave them little COGNITIVE SURPRISES for them to find on Monday morning!
I posted this on my Facebook page last Saturday when working at the SNF. My followers loved it so much they began sending me pictures of their own creations the next day!
The Physical therapists commented that they used this ball toss activity for their goals that address strength, standing balance, weight shifting, and standing. (They also said that it made for a nice impromptu game of dodge ball!)
Occupational therapists used it to work on fine motor and gross motor skills, sequencing, standing tolerance, sitting balance, gross motor coordination, upper extremity ROM, hand/eye coordination, and following directions.
Speech therapists said they were able to target attention, problem solving, sequencing, memory, verbal expression (by having to tell the rules to another patient)...Here's the great part...ALL while standing, working on balance and reaching skills with other disciplines! Co-treating at it's finest. That's what I LOVE to see. Teams of therapists working together to challenge their patients in functional situations that will make a lasting impression on them and those who are watching.
Here are some of my readers and their patients showing off their own ball toss activities:
Minda Butler, SLP said, "I had to adapt due to space issues but my patient loved it!! I added things like math problem solving ( what is 2+4. And what is 2+3-1). I also had him show me the year, the year he was born etc. thanks for your great ideas!"
April Rosales, COTA shared: "I was so inspired by your idea that my patient and I came up with a Valentine holiday toss!!! She had to pull a phrase from the bowl and then match the phrase to the wall. The goals targeted were standing balance and tolerance, hand/eye coordination, activity tolerance and GMC/FMC."
Please continue to share your unique ideas in the comments below or tag @msgardeniasspeechroom on Instagram with the #SNFspeech.
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I can't wait to see what you have created this week!
