what is OT?
Occupational Therapists are Masters or Doctorate level healthcare professionals who focus on helping you do the things you NEED and WANT to do in your daily life. We are professional problem solvers!
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OTs have a deep knowledge of anatomy/physiology paired with a creative brain full of ways to help you adapt your life to your unique body.
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If you've ever left a doctor's appointment with a new diagnosis but no clue how to apply this new information to your life, OT is for you!
work with me 1:1 and we'll problem YOUR specific challenges with everyday tasks, like washing dishes!
HYPERMOBILITY
NEURODIVERGENCE
CHRONIC PAIN
CHALLENGE
ADAPTATIONS
Scrubbing dishes causes hand pain/joint subluxations
Dishes pile up in the sink because touching wet, slimy dishes plus the sound of scrubbing makes you feel like you're crawling out of your skin
Leaning over the sink to scrub dishes flares your low back pain
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Use splints to support your thumb joints which are likely hyperextending when you try to firmly grasp a slippery dish
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Place a non skid dish mat on bottom of sink to lesson the amount of force needed to hold dishes
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Change or modify the sponge or scrub brush to decrease the amount of force needed to grasp the brush
Create daily rhythms such as "closing duties" so no more than one day's worth of dishes accumulate, decreasing the slime factor
If available, switch to a stronger dishwasher detergent so you can place dishes directly in the dishwasher with little to minimal hand scrubbing
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Use dish gloves to eliminate the feeling of wetness on your hands
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Listen to music with noise cancelling headphones to block out any scraping/scratching noises that might be triggering
Place a wire shelf covered in a non skid dish mat in the sink to raise the dishes up and lessen the amount of bending required to scrub
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Scrape food into the trash/compost and place the dish directly in the dishwasher (if available) to decrease the number of items needed to be scrubbed in the sink
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Replace non dishwasher safe items such as wooden utensils and non stick pans with stainless steel to decrease the amount of scrubbing required
Use disposable plates/silverware to decrease the overall amount of dishes (during flares or all the time depending on your difficulty with the task/financial ability to afford disposables)