Question: My mom has dementia and seems to have forgotten how to use her silverware to feed herself. Can OT help?

Answer: Yes! Sometimes, as dementia progresses, people can have more difficulty feeding themselves. OTs can figure out what’s getting in the way of self-feeding and provide the best amount of support that helps the client maintain their skills for as long as possible.

Your OT can recommend changes in things like the type of dishes used, the kind of food offered and how it is presented, distraction level, and adjusting routines and schedules. OTs train caregivers in offering the right kind of cueing and support. OTs also take into consideration other factors outside of dementia that may be impairing self-feeding.

Stephanie Grunklee, MOT, graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Master of Occupational Therapy degree. Stephanie is a champion of the Wound Care Program. She is passionate about geriatric rehabilitation and understands the importance of an interdisciplinary team-based approach to help patients reach their goals.

I have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis (OA). Do I need to stop running or participating in sports?

This is a question that we are asked regularly during physical therapy sessions! A recent 2020 meta-analysis by Zampogna et al on of the effects of activity in people with OA concluded that, “compared to controls, aquatic exercise, land-based exercise, tai chi, and yoga showed a small to high effect for improving pain, physical function, quality of life, and stiffness. Active exercise and sport are effective to improve pain and physical function in elderly people with osteoarthritis.”

Furthermore, a 2018 study by Lo et al. in The Journal of Clinical Rheumatology concluded that, “among individuals over 50 years old with knee OA, self-selected running is associated with improved knee pain and not with worsening knee pain or radiographically defined structural progression.”

That being said, I recommend avoiding contact sports which have a higher risk of orthopedic injury, such as tackle football and rugby. I also recommend a well-rounded exercise program which incorporates mobility, balance and strengthening exercises into your regular routine.

When progressing activity, it’s a good idea to gradually increase intensity or duration of activities by no more than 10% per week. For example, if you normally run for 20 minutes on the treadmill at 7 mph and you want to progress this activity, you can either increase the time to 22 minutes or increase the speed to 7.1 mph.

If you are limited in your daily life and recreational activities due to pain, stiffness or weakness then consider making an appointment with a physical therapist to help you get moving again!

What is low vision?

Low vision is permanent vision loss from an eye disease or condition that cannot be corrected by standard treatments like glasses or contacts, medications, or surgery. With impaired vision, it becomes very difficult to complete tasks such as reading, navigating home and community environments, managing medications, managing calendars and appointments, managing finances, preparing meals and snacks, driving, recognizing faces for social participation, using household appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and microwaves, and so much more.

What can one do to prevent low vision?

The best way to prevent low vision is to have routine checkups with an optometrist or ophthalmologist and, if diagnosed with an eye condition, adhere to the prescribed care plan laid out by the doctor. The three most prevalent conditions resulting in low vision are macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. If one has a family history of eye conditions, it is crucial to have routine eye exams. It is also important to manage your health conditions, for example, controlling blood sugar is extremely important in preventing diabetic retinopathy. Once these eye conditions are present, they cannot be reversed, but further impairment can be prevented. This is why it is so important to follow the doctor’s instructions once diagnosed with an eye disease.

How can therapy help?

Since low vision is permanent, occupational therapists are not able to restore lost vision, but we can help those with low vision best utilize their remaining vision to be as successful and independent as possible. Occupational therapists perform home assessments to identify potential hazards and make appropriate modifications for safety and success. Some examples include adjusting lighting, removing clutter, and adding a contrasting color to doorways, steps, or thresholds. Occupational therapists may also modify the task, teach new skills, and utilize technology to improve daily function. Visual scanning and tracking techniques may be taught to better utilize remaining vision or, one may be introduced to adaptive tools and technology.

Each condition resulting in low vision impacts the visual field differently and have their own unique set of challenges. Occupational Therapists understand these conditions and how they impact the visual field. Occupational Therapists combine this knowledge with an individualized approach in order to provide training and modification in the client’s home and immediate surrounding community for optimal performance of the activities that are meaningful to the client.

Anna Pung, OTR is an Occupational Therapist in the Senior Living setting.  She has a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Mississippi State University.  Shespecializes in low vision, dementia, fall prevention, orthopedics, and neuro rehab. Anna is very passionate about working with individuals throughout the aging process to maintain independence and high quality of life.