I can remember the first time I visited Hinds’ Feet Farm during a lab for class and instantly feeling a peace and authenticity that has stuck with me since that day. You can feel the love and joy the minute you step foot onto the property and each and every staff member, resident, and day program member spread that love with their whole hearts. Three years after my initial visit I am blessed to say that I have had the absolute honor and privilege of being placed here for my clinical rotation for Occupational Therapy.
As an occupational therapy assistant student I have been able to work with the residents on maintaining and increasing their independence with every day activities (occupations). Over the course of the last 8 weeks Brittany Turney and I have been able to witness the gains that the residents have made. We educate the residents on energy conservation skills with dressing and grooming, work on strength training to improve standing balance for meal prep tasks, and introduce any adapted equipment to increase independence for self feeding or home management tasks. While OT has been primarily working with residents we have also been working with Day Program members periodically during the day. The same goal of increasing an individuals independence with every day activities within the residential home also carries over into increasing independence within the community by addressing appropriate social skills, emotional regulation/coping skills, and working on fine motor activities during Farm Chores.
Every day that I have spent here at Hinds’ has been a blessed one. I have looked forward to every day that I get to come here and work with residents and day program members and I dread the day that I have to leave. I have witnessed love in its purest form and have worked alongside many great individuals who are so knowledgeable about TBI’s and have taught me so much in such a short amount of time.
