COTA Thoughts

Moving Up

2009-11-14T15:42:00Z

One of the questions I get asked often is why I remain a COTA, and not further my degree to an OTR. This is a question I ask myself, and as much as the change would be nice sometimes, there are many reasons why I remain a COTA. Of course the educational factor is first. As much as I enjoy school, the things that come with it such as homework, reading, and tests are not as enjoyable. Attending courses full or part time and trying to balance all this with family life can and has been a stress creator...(read more)

The Future of the COTA

2009-10-22T19:46:00Z

Healthcare reform, the economic depression, reduced insurance reimbursements, Medicare and Medicaid cutbacks, how will this affect the future of the COTA? Some people are quite nervous right now, thinking that Obama's healthcare reform will eliminate the COTA position. Others are worried that the reduced reimbursement rates will decrease salaries. Some have indicated that continued layoffs and company closings would reduce caseloads, thereby reducing the number of hours available to work. And several...(read more)

Change of Heart

2009-10-12T02:02:00Z

Well, I must admit that talking to others with different experiences and listening to the other side of the story is one good way to learn. This past weekend my thoughts were changed on the health care reform issues, and simply by listening to another opinion from someone who sees another side of the story. Medicare as we know it is failing. Government is blamed for it, and people don't want their healthcare operated by big brother thinking the same results will happen. A new thought was presented...(read more)

Changes in Long Term Care Funding

2009-10-06T00:26:00Z

Changes in Medicare funding for skilled nursing facilities happened just a few days ago on October 1 st . These changes will cut deeper into the budgets of all Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF's), but the impact will be felt more in smaller SNF's. With strained budgets, it will more than likely affect the quality of care our senior citizens receive. The current changes are significant, but changes set to take effect in October 2010 may bring a devastating blow to long term care, even more so than...(read more)

Uninformed Families

2009-09-26T21:14:00Z

Sometimes family members of some of my patients are so clueless it really makes me wonder what they are thinking. Some seem to think therapy is a magic bullet, and we can cure any problem. In the past, there have been a couple of real backward thinking people I've dealt with, but just recently there has been a couple people that have really made me scratch my head. Case one: the person is near comatose, follows no verbal directions, totally dependent for transfers, dressing, feeding, and personal...(read more)

Progress Notes

2009-09-22T01:30:00Z

Probably one of the hardest things to learn as a therapist is writing progress notes. If you're involved in long term care, then you know these are a requirement from Medicare and insurance companies. Documentation of their patient's progress is normally required at specific time schedules. SOAP notes were the first type of documentation mentioned in school. Soap notes, I thought? Do we need to document on how well the patient can wash? All kidding aside, we soon learned what SOAP stands for, which...(read more)

Why I Love OT

2009-09-14T00:53:00Z

Actually there are lots of reasons. The people you meet and work with. Those unforgettable moments when a patient is able to complete a task for the first time. Those funny moments. And so many more. Working in OT you get to meet some of the nicest people. Sure, some of the people aren't so nice, and yes some can be pretty downright grumpy. But there's always the few who really have an impact on everyone. They are the one who is always motivated despite their handicap or illness. They are the ones...(read more)

Healthcare Reform Issues

2009-08-22T17:51:00Z

News from some of the town hall meetings that have been happening around the country reminds me of the Vietnam War protests of the late 60's. Large organized groups of people protesting issues with proposed government actions. There were protesters carrying signs with defaced pictures of the president, who would loudly interrupt any speaker representing the government. People accused the government of being murderers. Some of the meetings became quite heated, yet the message still did not get through....(read more)

A Day in the Life, Part II

2009-08-10T02:59:00Z

Well, here is Part Two of the typical day of mine. Sorry there were a few blogs between since I promised this as the next one when I wrote Part One. Issues that I thought were more important than one of my boring days got blogged about first though. The alarm rings and its back to the clinic after getting showered, dressed, breakfast and put together a lunch, then the short (thankfully) fifteen minute drive. Some days the elevator is quite slow and it might take another ten minutes to get from the...(read more)

Chicken Wings

2009-08-06T03:38:00Z

No I'm not thinking about the kind you might find at a restaurant covered with barbeque sauce. What I'm referring to today is a method that many people use to transfer patients. I have always detested the transferring people this way, and swear that some day I will take any person guilty of using it to the gym and hang them in the parallel bars. This transfer is completed with two people, one on either side of the patient. Each places an arm under the patients arm, up near the shoulder. Both people...(read more)

Euthanasia

2009-07-27T01:34:00Z

I know, kind of a sick topic for a blog, huh? However were you aware that Congress is currently discussing this topic as a part of the Health Care Reform bill? Yes it's true, now the government wants to tell us when we need to end our life and stop being a burden to Medicare funding. Here's an excerpt from a recent interview; JANE STURM: Hazel Homer is over 105 now. But at 100 the doctor had said to her, I can't do anything more unless you have a pacemaker. I said, go for it. She said, go for it....(read more)

Another Hit on Medicare Funding

2009-07-20T02:47:00Z

Well, I see that Congress has cut another $40 Billion out of Medicare funding. That is for 2010, and over the next ten years the cuts will total $556 Billion! It sure sounds to me like PPS II is here, and it's hitting just as the baby boomer generation just hitting the age of Medicare. Ouch! The worst impact this might cause, according to one report, is less funds available for home health. Why does this not make sense? Cut funding and reduce services that keep people in their own home, or force...(read more)

A Day in the Life

2009-07-11T03:24:00Z

The alarm goes off so you roll over and get out of bed; it's time to head to work. This process, repeated five times per week or more, is the typical American employees' life. We work to earn the money we need to pay the bills we create when we are not working. Our daily occupational roles vary as much as there are job titles, and I often think what would it be like to be a doctor, truck driver, actor, or whatever else my mind wanders into. However, even within the same job title the role could be...(read more)

Falls in Long Term Care

2009-06-24T02:41:00Z

I've been sitting here on the side of my bed for ten minutes now. I really got to go. It must have taken me five minutes just to sit up. I've been so weak since my hip surgery and catching pneumonia. I really have to go, bad. I wonder what's taking the help so long to answer the light. Well, the portable commode is right here, I bet I could make it........ I've been sitting here in my room for three hours now. I am bored. There's nothing decent to watch on TV. Is it lunch time soon? Or is it almost...(read more)

Job Security in Today’s Market

2009-06-16T03:19:00Z

Have you been at your job for a long time? Or have you been job hopping? No matter which one you are, do you feel that your position is secure? In today's market, jobs seem plentiful for therapists. Some of these jobs might be a position you don't want to take, but they are still out there. But then some of these jobs entail working for contractors, and their only security is usually a year to year contract with the facility. From experience I can tell you that I've started several different positions...(read more)