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April 2010 Volume 16 Issue 2AwarenessPresident’s MessageWinnipeg RegionalHealth Authority,Home Care ProgramCommunity StrokeServiceAdvocacyHandi Transit UpdateFrom the School ofMedical RehabFieldwork RequestsFieldwork WorkshopsProfessionalDevelopmentResearch & EducationConferencesSpring Cleaning at the MSOT OfficePresident’s MessageWelcoming spring is an annual ritual forme, how about for you? The new possibilities for a clean place, a great garden, andnew activities always get me motivated.Maybe one of the rituals you may look forward to is the MSOT Awards & New Gradsnight, which is a great way to honor thosereceiving awards and to meet the freshnew occupational therapists who will soonbecome our colleagues. I look forward torepresenting MSOT at the ProfessionalAlliance of Canada meetings and at theCAOT conference in May. Are there“housekeeping” items you would like tosee me address there? Some of the workyour Board has been engaged in over thepast year includes “tidying up” MSOT procedures and processes to make futureMSOT work easier for new people who wemay welcome in the future onto the executive. Thanks to all the volunteers that havedonated their efforts in this process. Iwould like to wish you all a healthy andactive spring.Gina De Vos, OT Reg (MB)MSOT PresidentApril showers.bring May flowers!

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Home Care ProgramCommunity Stroke Service“A client-centered approach to community re-engagement”UPDATE from MSOTRFother resources.The primary objectives of our service are to provide clients withcoordinated, efficient and timely access to client and familycentered stroke services, ideally, without gap in service fromThis column represents the first of a regular contribution fromthe MSOTRF committee to the MSOT Update in which we plan hospital discharge to start of therapy; ensure the client andto highlight Manitoba research, researchers, and opportunities. family are central participants when determining their careneeds and rehab goals; and, facilitating re-engagementWith the greatly successful Occupational Therapy Researchthrough interventions focused on helping clients participate inand Innovation Symposium in our recent past, our committeedecided that we would begin this series by highlighting some of desired activities and roles in their personally defined“community.” We help clients achieve potential recovery andthe research and innovative approaches that were shared atfunctional independence through both remedial and compenthe Symposium with the MSOT membership – particularly forthose of you who didn’t have the opportunity to join us in Octo- satory or adaptive treatment approaches. By facilitating recovery and functional independence we are also helping clientsber! Many thanks to Linda Merry Lambert of the Communityremain at home for as long as possible, and in some casesStroke Care Service for our first contribution.prevent premature institutionalization.Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Home Care ProgramReferred clients may be seen by one, two or all rehab disciCommunity Stroke Care Serviceplines. Rehabilitation may consist of promoting independence“A Client-Centered Approach to Community Reand safety in ADL’s, IADL’s, swallowing/feeding, communicaEngagement”tion, or ambulation. Remedial interventions and compensatoryThis presentation aimed to describe a client-centered rehabili- strategies are used to address stroke-related impairments; forexample, constraint induced movement therapy programstation service for individuals who have suffered a stroke andadapted to a home setting to increase hand function, strengthwho benefit from ongoing rehabilitation following hospital discharge. The objectives of the presentation focused on: defining ening, balance and gait reeducation, stair management, community mobility, dysphagia management and remediation ofre-engagement, reinforcing that re-engagement is part of thevisual inattention or other cognitive deficits. Therapists mayrehabilitation continuum, highlighting relevant literature, deprovide one-on-one interventions and/or design, monitor andscribing how the Community Stroke Care Service (CSCS) faprogress treatment programs facilitated one to 5 times/week bycilitates re-engagement with our clients, sharing some of ourservice outcomes and discussing our future plans and evalua- the Rehab Assistants.tion for our service. For the purpose of this article, I will conSome examples of specific re-engagement outcomes we havecentrate on a short description of the CSCS.seen have ranged from improving someone’s independencewith showering, managing finances, medication management,The Community Stroke Care Service is a centralized HomeCare service for people who have recently suffered a stroke. It to being able to participate in building a deck, taking publicwas implemented in October 2005 and consists of case coordi- transportation, or returning to work.nation services both in hospital and in the community, rehabili- I am very proud to be part of such a nationally innovative program, which has just been identified as one of seven Leadingtation, home care supports and linkages to community rePractice areas in the WRHA following the recent WRHA acsources. The service currently accepts clients who are admitcreditation!ted and discharged from the Riverview Health Centre StrokeUnit. Clients have been assessed and are safe for dischargeLinda Merry Lambert OT Reg. (MB)home, and would benefit from additional stroke rehabilitationOccupational Therapistwhere the home and community setting is the most suitableCommunity Stroke Care Serviceenvironment to address client goals. Our team consists of aTeam Manager, 2 Case Coordinators, 1 Resource Coordinator, LMerryLambert@wrha.mb.ca1.5 OT’s, 0.5 PT, 0.5 SLP, 5 Rehab Assistants and access toJacquie Ripat2

Internet Café ColumnBy Fern SwedloveInternet Café will unfortunately not appear in this month’s newsletter. Please look forward to the columnin June 2010!Do you have a website that you refer to in your occupational therapy practice? If so, please feel free to email me thewebsite to share with your colleagues in the Internet Café column. You can contact me at fern.swedlove@gmail.com.Focus on Falls PreventionVision Screening Education SessionResearch has shown that diagnosing and treating visionproblems can reduce falls WHEN: Tuesday April 20th, 2010Wednesday May 19th, 2010TIME: 1300 till 1600WHERE: Misericordia AuditoriumWHO: Open to all levels of staff wishing to learn how toconduct vision screening as part of a falls prevention programCOST: FREE!Session covers: A summary of the vision research being done atMisericordia through the Focus on Falls Prevention Project How to perform a vision screening to identify visualloss that effect ADL functioning and falls risk A review of common ocular deficits in seniors andwhat can be done to change the environment to help withvision lossRegister with Karen McCormac at 788-8073 orkmccormac@misericordia.mb.caSave the DateDepartment of Occupational TherapySchool of Medical RehabilitationUniversity of ManitobaMASTER OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPYINDEPENDENT STUDY SYMPOSIUMThe day will showcase student Independent Study projectsKeynote speaker TBAMonday, June 21, 20109:00 am to 4:30 pmA final symposium schedule will be posted in June2010 athttp://www.umanitoba.ca/medrehab/For more information contact Gayle Restall 975-77363

Handi-TransitUpdateFacts and Figures:Handi-Transit received over 3,000 applications in 2009 and had over 9,000 active registrants at the end of 2009In 2009, 71% of passengers carried were ambulant and 29% travelled in a wheelchairHandi-Transit carried 517,567 passengers in 2009Handi-Transit carried 43,538 passengers in February 2010Service Description and Eligibility Criteria:Handi-Transit is part of Winnipeg’s public transit system that accommodates people who have a physical disability thatsignificantly impairs their mobility so that they are unable to regularly use the City’s fixed route transit system. HandiTransit is a pre-booked, shared ride, door-to-door transportation service for applicants meeting the following criteria:Legally blindRequire full-time use of a wheelchairRequire transportation to and/or from dialysis only (able to use the fixed route service for all other travel)Have a physical disability that significantly impairs their mobility in that they cannot walk 175m/575ft (the typicaldistance between 2 bus stops) temporarily, during the winter, or permanently.Drivers physically assist passengers from the ground floor doorway of the pick-up location, to and from the vehicle, tothe ground floor doorway of the destination. This includes assistance up and down stairs at the ground floor doorway toa maximum of three stairs for someone travelling in a manual wheelchair.Application Process:The application is available at www.winnipegtransit.com under Handi-TransitApplications are reviewed in the order received by occupational therapists to determine eligibility. Short-term applications are typically processed within a few days unless there is a concern regarding the type or size of the applicant’smobility aid. Some typical examples of short-term applications are:Individuals determined to be palliativeHaving recently had a total knee or hip surgery (surgery dates must be provided)Many applicants are required to come in for an assessment as well. In many cases, eligibility may not be in questionwhen an assessment is requested. Assessments may be required in order to determine one, some or all of the following:EligibilityMobilityTransfer statusEquipment dimensions and modificationsEquipments compatibility with Handi-Transit vehiclesAn individual’s ability to travel independently on Handi-TransitShould an assessment be required, friends and family are welcome to attend. If a client has no other means of attending the assessment rides are available to and from the Handi-Transit office.Applicants who are determined ineligible for the service have an appeal right and can book an appeal hearing by callingHandi-Transit.Article is continued on page 544

Continued from page 4Equipment:Handi-Transit is currently able to carry the following wheelchairs:Side and rear-entry minivans: 30” in width from outside wheel to outside wheel, 48” in length, notexceeding 550lbs when the passenger is occupying the chair.Mini-buses (currently three in the fleet, increasing to five in 2011): 32” in width from outside wheelto outside wheel, exceeding 600lbs when the passenger is occupying the chair.Please note: Handi-Transit will no longer be carrying transport wheelchairs. Transport chairs make the occupant vulnerable in the event of a motor vehicle accident because they are lightweight, intended forindoor use, and not appropriate for vehicle transport while an occupant is sitting in the chair.Updates and Questions:Please visit our website at www.myride.winnipegtransit.com/en/handi-transit/ for the newest applicationform and information regarding Handi-Transit.Should you have additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact one of Handi-Transit’s threeoccupational therapists:Teresa Fricke: tfricke@winnipeg.caStefanie Turner: stefanieturner@winnipeg.caSheena Warkentin: swarkent@winnipeg.ca5