COTA Thoughts

Moving Up

Tim Banish — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:42:00 GMT

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...(read more)

The Future of the COTA

Tim Banish — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:46:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Change of Heart

Tim Banish — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:02:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Changes in Long Term Care Funding

Tim Banish — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:26:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Uninformed Families

Tim Banish — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:14:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Progress Notes

Tim Banish — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:30:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Why I Love OT

Tim Banish — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:53:00 GMT

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....(read more)

Healthcare Reform Issues

Tim Banish — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:51:00 GMT

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...(read more)

A Day in the Life, Part II

Tim Banish — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:59:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Chicken Wings

Tim Banish — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:38:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Euthanasia

Tim Banish — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:34:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Another Hit on Medicare Funding

Tim Banish — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:47:00 GMT

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...(read more)

A Day in the Life

Tim Banish — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:24:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Falls in Long Term Care

Tim Banish — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:41:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Job Security in Today’s Market

Tim Banish — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:19:00 GMT

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...(read more)