Guest blog from Dr Lee Ann Hoffman, OTD, ATP, OTP, SMS
Dear Jenx and all the people you have served- Congratulations on 40 years! What a marvelous milestone. Numbers matter.
24-hour Posture Care Management. I was introduced to an approach over 15 years ago that has exponentially changed my view and practice as an occupational therapist. “This describes a non-invasive and gentle comprehensive intervention that includes day and night positioning in lying, sitting, and standing. The approach is aimed at improving the quality of daily comfort and function of the individual with mobility limitations. This requires a process that includes a comprehensive understanding of how the positioning program fits within a person’s context and lifestyle” (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, 2023).
4th edition of the occupational therapy practice framework (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2020) that guides my interventions for addressing rest and sleep occupations through the provision of assistive technologies. These intervention solutions can be no-cost, low-cost, or high-cost solutions that range from no-tech to high-tech.
2 continents. Two of the four continents I have been fortunate enough to live and work in- I have been able to work with Jenx products! I was based in the United Kingdom for 12 years and I am now in the United States for my 8th year.
1 post-professional occupational therapy doctorate degree… and the opportunity to create a program that can be added to supplement occupational therapy students’ education. For those unfamiliar, the capstone project is the final deliverable in the occupational therapy doctorate program. My capstone project was comprised of a manuscript (dissertation) outlining the 24-hour posture care management approach and the use of assistive technology for positioning – aimed at occupational therapy students. The program focused on the 24-hour posture care management approach and the use of assistive technology for positioning to manage and support everyday occupations such as functional mobility, health management, and rest and sleep (AOTA, 2020).
I created a website to host the resources and five asynchronous videos: an introduction and learning objectives one through four. Each program’s learning objective introduced students to concepts and progressively scaffolded the learning outcomes, culminating in a hands-on simulation. The simulation component was comprised of whole-body positioning equipment to address positioning in lying, sitting, and standing. The simulation was created to allow students to engage and explore the use and operation of assistive technologies for the purpose of providing positioning support for individuals with complex positioning needs.
I was so grateful to Jenx for answering my call for assistance and for kindly supplying me with a Dreama sleep positioning system to support the hands-on simulation component. I am so pleased to report that students who have completed the supplemental education know how to set up the system, in addition to the importance and value of providing positioning in the lying posture/s.
What’s Next? Although I completed my capstone project over a year ago, this supplemental education component continues to run three times a year. I love that students continue to be introduced to assessments and solutions for lying, sitting, and standing postures. As clinicians, it is so important that we remain client-centered and that we focus on providing viable solutions that are mindful of culture and context. I am so pleased to say that the occupational therapy students who have completed the supplemental education now have the awareness and knowledge of the provision of whole-body positioning supports required to meet the specific postural needs of the person while being mindful of their unique settings and circumstances. In addition, I am so grateful to be able to continue to have the opportunity to challenge the occupational therapy students at my university and to show them how solutions can also be fabricated out of no or low-cost options often times serving as the solution, a guide to further assessment, or as a stopgap while funding for more formal positioning is sought.
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process – fourth edition. American Journal of Occupational Therapy,74(Supplement_2), 7412410010p1–7412410010p87. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. (2023). 24-7 Posture care management. https://www.resna.org/Membership/Special-Interest-Groups-SIGs/24-7-PCM-SIGnU
About the Author
Lee Ann Hoffman, based in Dallas, Texas, is an occupational therapist with more than 20 years of experience. She has worked internationally and in a variety of healthcare settings and systems throughout her career. She is invested in contributing to the field of assistive technology and complex rehabilitation technologies and holds certifications as an assistive technology professional (ATP) and seating and mobility specialist (SMS) through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). Lee Ann volunteers her time as co-vice chair for the RESNA 24-7 posture care management (PCM) special interest group and is part of the core team for the RESNA position paper for 24-hour PCM. She has presented and published internationally about 24-hour Posture Care Management. Lee Ann teaches entry-level occupational therapy doctoral students assistive technology at a Health Sciences University (USA) and is a lifelong learner having obtained a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Republic of South Africa), Master of Science in posture management (United Kingdom), post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (USA) and is currently undertaking a second doctorate degree in education.
