Alli's Internship Day 22

Today was a good day at my internship. I was on 3rd floor geriatrics/young adults/rehab and I had a great time. They geriatrics are my favorite floors. Every morning starts off with a coffee social it gives the residents time to interact with one another and time to relax with friends while watching the "Today Show" and it gives us time to prep for the mornings activities. Today we did current events, this help them understand and know what is going on in the world and the weather too. Many of the residents love hearing about the weather and the snow storms that are coming. There was a story in today's paper about how a Kohl's department store was in danger of there whole roof collapsing due to the excessive snow on top, and with more to come it is a big worry. They love being knowledgeable about what is going on it gives them a sense of the outside world. After that we set up bowling for them. This bowling though, was for a table top and the pins were small and there was a round small ball that you use to throw down and knock over the pins. They use this one because there are many people in wheelchairs that can play this way and everyone really enjoys it. Its and even game for everyone wheelchair or not. The residents love bowling and there was a line to play it had a very good outcome and is one of the more popular games. We also had music playing during bowling and they sang along it was great. After that we set up for lunch and we put on "The Price is Right" that is one of their all time favorite shows. They bid as if they were there it's great. Setting up for lunch is not always easy, everyone has a assigned seat but that is the easy part the other part is the drinks and food. You have to be very careful about who gets what because there are all different types of dietary needs. Today was a successful day and when I left for lunch everyone had a smile on their face and that's all that really matters. Some of them are very alert and know that they are stuck there until they pass so anything to make them feel better or make their day is totally worth it. Hopefully the snow won't mess up my hours this week!

Alli's Internship Day 18

Today I was on the 4th floor which is geriatrics and we had our coffee social and then got set up for the Wii Dance Broadway and Basketball two separate groups that go on at the same time for the residents have a choice of what they would like to do. They love playing basketball, I think it brings back memories from high school and when they used to be active, and the Wii they are starting to like more and more. They get to choose songs that are familiar to them and they enjoy going against each other in a friendly competition. Then we set up for lunch. I really enjoy working on the 4th floor it is definitely my favorite floor. The residents and I are getting to know each other now and they love joking with the new-be but it is tons of fun. Later today after lunch I was on the 3rd floor which is young adults/geriatrics. I did the TTAP Method today and it went very well. We did a body relaxation and meditation and then we painted what we saw during the meditation. They pictures came out nice I will be posting them up soon. They seem to become really relaxed and enjoy doing the crafts. After that we played Bingo which is always a big hit on 3rd floor. Today it was snowing all day so I left a little early but all in all it was another successful day at my internship!

Cornell University continues to study the TTAP Method in the news!

Read the following article to understand how the TTAP Method is changing individuals lives who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Cut and paste link into search.


http://www.levinemadoriphd.com/content/news/chappaqua-resident-expert.php

Alli's Internship Day 16

Today I was expecting to be the geriatrics but and I was for a little while in the morning for an hour or so. We had a coffee social and did group discussion and interaction. Since the Superbowl is coming up we talk a lot about last nights games and who wanted who to win. Then I was called down to first floor pediatrics and those are the really young children and spent the rest of my time with them. We did mat play, which is when you lay the child on the mat if they are too young to move around on their own but otherwise it is playing with the child on the mat in a safe manner. The kids love to run around on the mat but most of them can only be off their feeding for fifteen minutes tops. After that we cleaned up everything and got the kids back in their chairs and then did an art project. They got to color fishes and they plan to hang them in their own rooms. Ringworm seems to be going around but if you take all the precautions you should be fine. As a therapist my supervisor says that you have to be careful because many things go around and you have to protect yourself from it especially if you are seeing different residents on different floors. Now since I have started school my schedule has changed and so have my hours. That is also another thing about being a therapist is that you have to be flexible! So tomorrow I believe I am on the second floor so we will see what tomorrow brings, so far so good!

Alli's Internship Day 13

I am sorry I know that today is really the 14th day of my internship but yesterday I worked the late shift and I came home a fell asleep. So this is what happened yesterday day 13... First I got there and I was on 4th floor geriatrics I always have fun up there they talk to me and tell me all the latest gossip and we have a coffee social every morning. Then after that I got to do my first session of the TTAP Method. I did it with two elderly ladies one has Alzheimer's Disease and the other one has Crohn's Disease and that is why they are at the facility. They are both alert. We did a meditation and then did drawing about what they sad. One lady drew a garden and the other lady didn't really see anything so she drew swirls of colors about how she was feeling. We then talked about gardens and family. After that it was already time for lunch, so after lunch we did a sensory group with the young adults and after did a reminiscing group with the older adults. We also played hangman. This is a great game to keep them thinking and bringing back their long term memory. Also this week was recreation appreciation week so the director had a nice luncheon for all her staff. Since I worked late I went to 1st floor pediatrics and worked with the babies and did a few room to room visits. So the day went smoothly and I can't wait to do the next TTAP session!

Alli's Internship Day 11

Today was the first day without shadowing the CTRS. It wasn't too bad at all. I first went to 4th floor but then they needed me on the 1st floor which is pediatrics. When I got down there I did one on one sessions all morning with the kids because there was no school today and many of them are sick I went from room to room. I read them books and played with them I even sang to some of the more alert kids. I used tactile objects and the music therapist also came around to the kids which was good cause most of them did not leave there rooms today. After seeing most of the kids it was lunch time. After lunch, I went to 3rd floor which is mostly rehab and some geriatrics. We played hangman for most of the time, the residents on that floor love hangman they could sit there all day and play it. I thought up old movie classics and TV shows and even actors too. They are surprisingly good at hangman. It really gets them thinking and also gets them interacting with each other. We also after hangman started talking about family. This brought on strong conversation and was very interesting to get to learn more about the residents and their families. When I start the TTAP Method I'm sure there will be many more stories and that is what I am looking forward to.

Alli's Internship Day 8

Today I worked with the geriatrics population. First they have wake up && coffee time. They get a chance to come in socialize watch the news and have their coffee and a few snacks. Then I did a morning basketball group along with a Wii Sports group. The recreation department wants everyone to get a chance to see if the Wii is something that interest all populations and today was the first time they tried it with them and they liked it. The Wii Sports were hard for some to play because you have to remember that they have disabilities and many do not have use of their hands but when is came to the Just Dance Wii Game they loved it and were so good at it. They really enjoyed it and got a competition going. The basketball is always successful with them because they can still play from their wheelchairs. Before I knew it, it was lunch time. After we did a sensory group with the young adults and did a relaxation and everyone was so relaxed. We then moved on to the older adults and played a reminiscing game. They were given pictures, I got a picture of and old car and I was asked what was the first car I ever had? Which brand was it? The color and make? so on a so fourth and then I answered and everyone around me then talked about their first car and it was very successful and everyone was interacting with one another and the memories kept on coming and coming. Today was a very good day I love working with the geriatric population, it shows the positives of what a little conversation can do and how it can bring back things you never forgot and rarely get to share.

Alli's Internship Day 6

Today was so much fun. This morning I was on the pediatric floor and even though many of the kids were sick we still had an awesome time with the music therapist and sang songs about the winter and snow. Then we prepped for an art project called polar animals and got ready and did some one on one's. I also got to meet a lot of new kids and staff. After lunch we did a sensory group and we also did the art project which was gluing white felt to the polar bears and penguins placing the on an iceberg and hanging them around the room. We also read them a story about the winter and the three little snow bears. Then we had a dance party to the music on the soundtrack of happy feet. Unfortunately today one of the kids that was in our group lost oxygen and turned a grayish color but respiratory came just in time and saved her, the thing with the kids with oxygen and vents is that they unplug themselves sometimes they don't know that it will harm them they just think it is something to play with. But in the end everything was fine. I learned you just always have to be aware and that double checking is never a bad thing. At the end of the day I took some kids back to there rooms and I also learned about the facility's paper work and care plans. I learned a lot today and it was an interesting day to say the least but I'm still looking forward to tomorrow!

Alli's Internship Day 3

Today I was on the 4th and 3rd floor of the facility and those are the geriatric floors. This morning we played basketball. We set up the group into a big circle and each one of them got a turn to shoot into a hoop. To give everyone a fair chance we had to different hoop sizes so they each could make it a successful experience. Most of the people I was working with were in wheelchairs so we adjusted the equipment so it would work for them in a positive way. It surprised me how well some of them did I was not expecting that at all. Than we went down to the 3rd floor after lunch and set up a sensory group for the younger adults and we set up lights and different tactile objects for them and it went very well and they seemed super relaxed. After that we took a different group of people and played a reminiscing game called shake awake a memory. You roll the dice and the number you roll matches a card and that card has a question and if you have done what is on the card you keep it and whoever has the most in the end wins. Some of the memories and stories that were shared were filled with so much detail it was amazing. I think I found some great candidates for the TTAP Method. So far my internship has been great and tomorrow a Zumba instructor is coming and we are making sock snowmen to go with our winter wonderland theme, can't wait!

Alli's Internship Day 1

Hi my name is Alli and I am a fifth year double major student at St. Thomas Aquinas College. I started my internship today at a nursing and rehab facility. I will be blogging about it every Monday and Wednesday, so I will keep you posted! This was my first day at my internship and it was very interesting and exciting. At first I was nervous but once I got to meet with my CTRS it seemed to be second nature. Today, Monday was music therapy day. We started with a music program with singing and residents got instruments to go along with the beat of the music. After that we set up a sensory stimulation and got the music going with lights and different tactile objects to stimulate the senses. Then after that we had lunch and then we set up a music and dance type program and we got the patients moving and most of them have been in wheelchairs so it was very nice and they we very responsive to the music and the different beats. After that we set up a art painting project that we painted cardboard cut outs of snowflakes and we plan to hang them up in the day room where most of the residents stay. After that we got the residents ready for dinner. The day flew by it went so much faster than I was expecting I had a great first day and I am looking forward to tomorrow!