"Find Your Strength." - Spaulding Rehabilitation Network
Learning Objective 1
To Adapt Sports Equipment To Individuals' Specific Needs
At the McGraw Center, our equipment needs to be fit to each participant, and some fits require additional modules to be attached to the equipment being used. Below are photos of an adapted recumbent cycle and an adapted kayak.
The cycle has a multitude of adaptations. On the cycle itself, there are plate pedals in place of traditional toe cages, giving a greater surface area to push against. Ankle-foot orthodics (AFOs) are attached to the plate pedals to keep the leg in line with the direction force is being applied by holding the leg parallel to the cycle. On the seat, there is a seat belt that straps around the thighs to keep the hips in place. There is also a strap that goes over the shoulders to keep the torso from leaning to either side. On the rear of the cycle is a coupler, which allows another cycle to be attached in tandem with the participants cycle to help produce power to keep the cycle moving. A strap has also been attached to the participants handles that the tandem rider can use as 'reigns' to assist with steering as well.
On the kayak, there are pontoons, hydrodynamic plastic containers of air, on either side of the stern to give stability to the participant. Just in front of the seat is a paddle pivot. This module keeps the center of the paddle in one place while the participant dips the paddle into the water by rocking the paddle mount to either side. The pole that the paddle mount is attached to rotates on its axis, allowing the participant to push and pull the paddle. This module is especially useful for participants that are unable to use one side of their body, such as a stroke survivor.
Learning Objective 2
To Fill Out an Incident Report Clearly and Correctly
While working at the McGraw Center, I experienced a fall of my bicycle that required my right hand to be in a splint for six weeks that immobilized my thumb. Although the incident report states that Lynne Hobler entered the information, I was dictating what information was being put into the incident report while she entered the information. To protect personal information, I have omitted my home address from the document as well as the witness' personal information and identify them by their full first name and the initial of their last name.
A .pdf of the incident report itself can be seen by clicking here.
Learning Objective 3
To Innovate Ways To Make The Adaptive Sports Program More Enjoyable and Engaging To Participants
For participants, getting out of the house and being active is already a major accomplishment as some of them have the McGraw Center as their primary source of physical activity. An important aspect of the program is goal setting as it gives the participants something to work towards as they continue to return in future sessions. Setting a mileage goal has been a common mode for setting goals each session, but that requires being on the lookout for the mile markers along the path or checking their phone to see what distance they have traveled. With the document I created, I went along the Cape Cod Rail Trail and photographed eight points of interest in each direction, between half a mile and a bit over a mile between each one. This way, participants can choose a location to go to and make that their goal for the day. On top of that, participants will be able to enjoy the journey with only needing to be on the lookout for their end destination that matches one of the photographs that would be on the backside of the page when printed out, the second page of the attached document.
The aforementioned document can be found here.
Learning Objective 4
To Maintain And Care For Sports Equipment And Their Adaptive Modules
The equipment used at the McGraw Center is used multiple times a week and by several different people, meaning that the only way to run efficiently is to keep organized and make sure everything is in working order. The first two photos on the top row are how the equipment was stored when I first arrived to the internship. The last photo in the top row was taken on June 21st, three weeks after I arrived at the McGraw Center. The first picture in the bottom row was taken on August 2nd.
Learning Objective 5
To Adapt To Unexpected Situations That May Arise And Overcome Them Either By Myself Or With My Team
When I camee up with this learning objective, I did not plan on it being about something that happened to myself. On July 1st, I was cycling with a participant and ended up falling off my bicycle and catching myself with my right hand. This resulted in the trapezium being bruised and being immobilized in a splint for six weeks. It happened that in order to adapt to the challenges I faced, I needed to overcome them with myself AND my team. For myself, I needed to learn how to get through every-day life and perform my duties at work to the best of my abilities with my left hand, such as carrying bins using my left arm and adapting the sports equipment using my left arm and legs together. My team helped me with the things I could not do, primarily strapping kayaks back to the kayak trailer after their use. To make up for not being able to do that, I was the van driver that trailered equipment as needed. Switching from doing everything righty to lefty proved to be incredibly difficult, but I did not let that get in the way. In fact, increased dexterity in my left hand may prove to be helpful with performing tasks in the future.
