Your Body! The Only One You Get!

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Your Body! The Only One You Get!


The amazing body is such an incredible, masterful design! Think about it. Muscles were created differently to do specific jobs in different places. It is just astonishing how the way the fibers were developed changed the function of the muscles ability.

Bones were formed in different strengths, and sizes and densities and variations....the structure of the bone provided the support or the framework needed for the function it was designed to do. Well, that is just another architectual marvel.

Then, muscles, bones and joints work together to create movement. Together, they gave our bodies power, strength, control, coordination, balance, precision, mobility.

The amazing heart pumps gallons of nourishing blood throughout the body. Other organs were designed to hold fluids, filter fluids, get rid of solids and liquids, and even create and sustain another life.



Then there is the astonishing central command, the brain! The brain controls all of it.
So, there is no doubt about it. The body is amazing! And, it is the only one we get! It has to last us from birth to death.



Together, the entire system is prepared to last an amazingly long time, as long as we care for it, like the amazing machine that it is. We only get one body. It is ours to keep and to care for it as long as we have it.


My Fascination with the Body and the Mind



As a child, I spent many, many hours reading my father's dental, medical and anatomy books from college. I just couldn't get enough of those books. My whole life, I have been fascinated by the body.

• How it worked.


• How there can be so many different looking people, with so many different personalities, yet still have the same inner workings.


• Why and how things mess up the body's natural balance.


• Why seemingly miraculous things happen without explanation.


• Why some people seem to get better due to pure guts, stamina, desire, hard headedness, belief in others, belief in above, belief in something.


• Why other just give up.


• How the body develops.


• How the body heals itself.


• How to rid the body of pain.

I have also been equally fascinated by the human mind.

• How an attitude can affect what we do and how we do it.


• How a belief can provide total clarity or completely muck up (something) You name it.


• How strong the power of personal beliefs are.


• How our brains work, the flexibility we have.


• How much information we use and store in any one second.


• How we can recall information from long ago and forget what we did seconds ago.


• How we use our brains to communicate to ourselves and to others.

Well, this list could go on an on, but you get the idea. The brain has to be the most fascinating structure of any in the body.

Triggering the Power Within

So, as it turned out, my entire career as an occupational therapist focused on how to enable the person's body and mind to work together to achieve their desired outcome, despite whatever challenge happened to them.....

My goals were to enable people to fully participate in their lives again. But, for the longest time, as a new graduate, my first question was, "how am I going to make them improve?

I eventually realized it was never about me. It was always about the person I was working with, and their power within. The major magic, the tweaking point, the value of my therapeutic service was really how would I trigger their power within?

Well, that's it for today's thoughts. Hope you all have a great day. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Dr. Vanessa

Wise Aging: Back to the Basics

Good morning to my first follower! Thank you for your interest.


At birth, Mom and Dad were responsible for our health, safety and well being.

They made sure we :

• Ate good, nutritious food


• Exercised (went outside to play)


• Got plenty of rest


• Had fun (socialized, made friends, did fun things)


• Had regular preventive health check-ups


• Learned alot (read, studied, went to school)


• Were protected from harm (they watched out for you, looking for risks and hazards)

Wise Aging is about going back to basics, watching out for yourself.

The same things that Mom and Dad made sure for you as a child applies through adulthood.

The only difference is now you are responsible for your self.

The next posting will be "Your Body: The Only One You Get!

Have a safe and happy day. Dr. Vanessa

What are occupational Therapists?

What are occupational therapists?

• Occupational therapy practitioners are highly trained health care professionals.


• Our college education includes the study of human growth and development.


• It emphasizes the social, emotional, and physiological effects of illness and injury.


• We consider all aspects of the person's life to find the best, most relevant, practical enabling solutions.
  

What is the purpose of occupational therapy?

I would say our overall goal is to promote health and wellness by finding solutions that enable people to live lives to their fullest.


What role do OT's have in health care?

Our role's vary. It depends on the setting. But usually, an OT will try to find the best solution(s) for the person they are working with

• to maximize abilities


• to improve safety


• to increase or maintain or restore independence


• to promote or enhance the quality of life.

OT's work with people who

• are healthy
• are injured
• have diseases
• have conditions that limit their ability to actively participate in life
• are at risk of injury or ill health
  

You will see OT's working with

• High risk infants, children, teenagers
• Developmentally challenged
• Adults and seniors
• Physically and or mentally challenged
• The dying
• Pre- and post surgical patients
• People who have hand injuries or motor vehicle injuries
• People who have work injuries
• In the armed forces, peace corps
• Athletes
• The list is endless, etc.

What role do OT's have in non-medical settings?

In non medical settings, occupational therapists may work with groups or organizations as consultants or in leadership roles.

Our overall goals are usually to promote health and wellness, but maybe on a much larger scale.

Generally speaking, our duty might be to educate others. We may work to enable our clients to find useful, practical solutions that maximize abilities, safety, independence and/or quality of life of "customers", "clients," "parishioners," "taxpayers," communities, etc.

The role varies according to the setting and the goal. Our goal might just be to promote health and well being, such as with new moms and their babies.

OT's are now involved in the mainstream of so many different businesses and programs. OT's offer an amazing "wholistic" perspective. So many businesses are seeing the benefit of hiring occupational therapists as health and wellness consultants or lifestyle coaches because of our unique educational background.

I am certainly available. For more information, see www.safeaging.com. Well, that is all about occupational therapy.

After this, unless anyone wants to talk more about this, we will move on to talk about health, injury prevention, safety, and other wise aging tips.

That's it for today. The end of my first blogging experience. Now, if I can only manage to get this blog posted, I can call it a night. Good night all

.

What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

Occupational therapists work to promote the health and wellness of people of all ages, so they can live life to the fullest.


We are able to work with people who are at risk of developing or who have

• injuries
• illnesses
• diseases
• chronic conditions
• activity limitations

My FIrst Day

Hello,

My name is Dr. Vanessa. For more information about me, see my profile, or check out my web site at http://www.safeaging.com/dazio.htm .

Why do this blog?

1. I believe this: People don't know what they don't know. Duh!

• If a person hasn't been trained in health care, it can seem like a foreign world.


• The language is frightful and very hard to understand.


• Doctors are busy, and so many people are afraid to take up their time.


• Many people are still afraid to ask questions.


• Many just do not know what questions should be asked.

2. If you don't recognize a risk, a hazard, or a potential problem, you cannot fix it.

In health care , we spend our greatest resources on reacting, that is, working after the fact. We treat the sick or injured person with all that we have after they have suffered a massive injury, or after they are hospitalized for a very severe medical condition.

We provide rehabilitation services to people after they have a stroke, or break a hip, or lose their vision. Then, we get to visit the person in their home, and make suggestions to improve home safety, but unfortunately, always after the fact!

Anyway, my point is, so much money and effort is and has been spent on reaction or treatment. And, don't forget, how much pain and suffering has been caused due to so many preventable injuries, and so many horrible health conditions (many caused by lifestyle choices.)

Why aren't we focusing our major efforts on really helping people to self recognize and self manage risk factors or hazardous situations that caused the

• injury


• ill health


• discomfort


• loss of abilities


• loss of independence


• decline in quality of life

3. Why aren't we, as medical professionals helping our healthy seniors to stay healthy, to wisely and safely live fulfilling lives at home and in their community?

The answer is, we are unable to make a living. Insurers have not yet recognized this preventive approach as cost effective. The individual senior hasn't recognized this as that important, if it is an out of the pocket cost. Until insurers offer in home preventive visits by skilled occupational therapists, for the purpose of identifying, quantifying and helping healthy seniors to manage risk,

we will continue to work in the same old medical model of treatment. Something has to give.

4. How can we help people to figure out their own level of risk?

I think that starts with knowledge. So, my blog will try to focus on a wide range of topics about health, safety and injury prevention, in the home, on the road, and in the community. If something risky applies to the reader, that is a good indicator that you just may have that risk factor. Sound the alarm and see if there is something you can do about it. If you have a question, write in, and maybe we can all figure it,...who knows,...with prevention, you can't say for sure we saved a life, or prevented a broken hip,.....but just knowing you improved something that could have caused an accident has to make a person feel good. Right?

5. How can we help people to make the needed changes before anything serious happens to them?

Once people are aware of risks, or can recognize hazards, they can make changes. By changes, I mean, eliminating or at least reducing the risks. Knowledge is power.

So, I will post articles, pictures, comments, and maybe some slide shows and videos (eventually) and other things, as I get more proficient, to help people learn how to help them selves at home.

Who Might Be Interested in Wise Aging Blog?

• Healthy adults


• Healthy seniors


• Seniors living at home with some difficulty


• Senior service providers


• Family members


• Businesses serving seniors


• Legislators


• Insurance companies


• Health care equipment companies


• Caregivers


• Nursing aids, technicians


• Others,....please let me know who you are


• Students


• Nursing homes and ALF's

How often will I blog?

At this point, I don't know yet. I am a newbie at this, and technically awful. I need help at this blogging stuff. So, as a new learner, please forgive me until I get the hang of this. I will do my best to do regular entries.

To Interested Followers

I look forward to comments, suggestions, ideas, questions, etc. Also, anyone who notices I am doing something wrong with any of the technicalities of posting, PLEASE tell me.

About Ads

I will be honest with everyone, I am hoping to make some additional income through the use of AdSense, as this does take away some extra spare time. I hope you all understand and graciously accept this, and support the sponsors in the ads.