Houstyn Hodson

Today's driving and community mobility lecture was so interesting and applicable to everyone. We learned that we typically outlive our ability to drive by 6-8 years! That means that for the last 6-8 years of our lives we won't be driving. This really hit home for me because aging is something that will happen to us all, no matter what. The ability to drive is one of the most important factors for myself that defines independence. Takeaway Points:  The key takeaway points I got from today's lecture are the importance of driver safety at all ages and how occupational therapists can play a role in ensuring the safety of other drivers. I think occupational therapists have a unique position in this niche of care, in that we are holistic in nature and well suited to cover this sensitive topic. I think we can be a support for those we see that don't get the best news about their potential future in driving. We also learned about how important it is to build rapport quickl...

Based on my glyphs, my view of what leadership looks like has not changed much. With that being said, however, I do feel as if my view has changed. The only major change to my drawing was the way I drew the face. According to the guidelines, "if you believe that leadership is an inborn trait , draw a triangle-shaped head. If you think that leadership stems from nurture over nature , draw a square-shaped head". Last year, at the beginning of my OT journey I drew my self-portrait with a square head indicating that you can learn leadership skills and learn to be a leader. This year I drew a triangle-shaped face with a square around it. I think this is interesting. I believe that leadership skills can be learned and developed, but I have also changed my thinking to believe that there are natural-born leaders and that leadership is also an inborn trait, to some degree. I have found this to be true in my OT school journey being in class with 38 other people that have different cha...

The main takeaway I got from this lecture is the importance of prevention. I am learning this a lot the more I am exposed to different healthcare settings and especially the elderly population. It is so interesting that we expect to become frail as we age as if this is a normal progression of life when it doesn't have to be! We need more education at a younger age and THROUGHOUT our school and college years about the importance of a healthy diet and exercise. Good nutrition and exercise should be taught to us like brushing and flossing our teeth. You have to eat well and exercise or you increase your risk of getting chronic and/or preventable diseases and increase your risk of mortality at an earlier age. You have to brush and floss your teeth or you will lose them. It should be that simple and it should be taught to everyone in all societies. In regard to the elderly population specifically, I learned that the elderly have much higher nutrition needs due to the physiological proc...