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Occupational Therapy at BHC is distinguished primarily for its long history of involvement in choking prevention across campus. Individuals with developmental delays often require food texture modifications to accommodate their varying abilities, as well as to ensure their mealtime safety. Each of BHC’s residents is screened annually, or as needed, to assess oral motor control and coordination as well as swallowing function. Residents who demonstrate difficulties in these areas are scheduled for videofluoroscopy at Christian Hospital Northeast, and the recommendations of the attending Speech Pathologist are implemented as part of the Person-Centered Plan. The OT Department also provides adaptive eating equipment that enables individuals, although they may require a modified food texture, to exercise their greatest level of mealtime independence. Our OT Department has been involved in providing vendor custom-designed seating (wheelchairs) for many of BHC’s population, and has pursued funding through either/both Medicare and/or Medicaid rather that facility funds. In addition, they provide sensory integrative therapy, exercise class, social interaction groups, blind mobility training, reading instruction, vehicular mobility-aid safety checks, environmental and accessibility assessments, student internship training, and transfer and bathing equipment training. OT inservices staff on all of the above. |
