Tag: disaster
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Disaster Planning When Your Client Has Dementia: What Every OT Needs to Know
Emergency preparedness is complicated for anyone. For a person living with dementia, it can be overwhelming, terrifying, and — without thoughtful, individualized planning — genuinely life-threatening. Research published in The Gerontologist found that disaster preparedness is experienced as one of the most challenging responsibilities of dementia caregivers, with barriers including cognitive and behavioral unpredictability, limited caregiver capacity…
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When the Power Goes Out: OT’s Critical Role in Emergency Planning for Clients With Medical Equipment
When the power goes out during a hurricane, ice storm, or wildfire evacuation, most people think about flashlights and bottled water. But for occupational therapists who work with clients who depend on medical equipment — ventilators, oxygen concentrators, electric wheelchairs, home dialysis machines, infusion pumps, stairlifts, or powered hospital beds — a power outage is…