Media Project: The PlanHand

The media project I think intimidated us all as we first read the instructions and realized what we had to do.  I know I first thought, "Ahh, I'm not ready for this!"  It took me awhile to brainstorm how I felt my assigned item could best help Alice adapt to her MS.  I really wanted to help her shower mobility since that seemed like such a dangerous situation but with a degradable item, that was a challenge.  The first idea that hit me was some sort of cuff made by the empty toilet paper roll cut in half around her forearm connecting to something to her hand.  Then, I thought about her fine and gross motor coordination deficits along with her decreased sensation in her hands.  I tried to focus the purpose of my creation around her goals which were to keep doing what she's doing.  I then began thinking how I could turn this mystery arm-bracelet-hand-helping-machine into helping Alice prepare dinner, get ready in the mornings, and organize her thoughts.  A triple whammy!  I first made the cuff with a cardboard piece going down to connect to something on the hand.  I then grabbed another toilet paper roll and realized, "Ding!  Ding!  Ding!"  This toilet paper roll allows me to have a larger grip on something and just maybe I could make it to where her items could slide into the center of it.  Off to Dollar Tree I went where I found "Hoop and Loop," aka Velcro, two Brillo Pads and some fuzzy Pom-Poms.  I get home and just start playing with it.  Conveniently enough, the Brillo Pads were thin and one rolled up perfectly in the center of the toilet paper roll allowing a great grip for handles!  I glued that in there.  Then, I realized the second Brillo Pad was almost long enough to completely wrap around the outside of the toilet paper roll so "Boom!"  Added sensation!  I secured it with the knock-off Velcro and played with it long enough to create the straps that go around the hand and connect to it.  I attached the Pom-Poms along the straps to cover up the sticky side of the Velcro but it appeared like it was for a child so I removed them and just dabbed them along it to try covering the stickiness.  I connected the cuff-cardboard-contraption to it (in not the most sturdy creation I must admit) BUT this is just a prototype, right?  I stare at this creation and wasn't pleased that it only helped her with the deficits in her hand.  It needed more.  I grabbed a Post-It notepad I had at home and thought her husband could write down the steps to preparing dinner and attach it to the allotted space on the arm cuff!  So, I attached it there in a place where she can't miss it and it can be easily removed or replaced.  "The PlanHand" was created and ready for viewing!  Not the most creative name, I know.

I feel like this assignment really got my OT think going and I surprised myself with how things came together the more I thought about my client.  I found myself wanting to make some master device that solved all of her problems!  If only that were possible.  I learned that sometimes we're not going to have the funds or access to some fancy AT to help our clients.  Sometimes, we need to have the ability to be resourceful with things we can find around the house or for a few dollars.  It felt really rewarding to be able to form something that will help Alice without it costing more than $5.  I think it's good for us to be creatively challenged because we need to go ahead and get those gears turning for the future!  I can only imagine how many more ideas we will form as we go through school and learn about different adaptations and needs.  This assignment will likely affect the way I think moving forward and being aware of all of the affordable things to use at Dollar Tree!  I didn't know they had so many things for us to use.  I enjoy crafts and creative projects but I've never actually (what felt like) engineered an item for the benefit of someone in need.  I've only made materialistic things to pay my way through college or make things to hang on my walls.  I reaped more rewards from making something that will, in my mind, help someone's life a little bit easier.  That's all we as OT's can ask for I think.  I can't wait for the next case study!