January Inservice: OT Assessment & Interventions for People with Neurodegenerative Diseases. Board Meeting to follow

Hello NOTA Members, 

Happy New Year! We are excited to begin the year with some great opportunities.

Remember to come for the free professional head shot, inservice, and board meeting this Wednesday, January 16th. See below for details.

Also, our Call for Papers went out for our conference this year.   Please save the date of June 1st, 2019 and see the attachment for more details.  The theme is "Looking Through the Lens of Mental Health: Therapeutic Impact of OT."  Do you use mental health strategies in traditional and non-traditional settings?  Share your experience with the Nevada OT community at conference!

Schedule for 1/16/19:

5:30-6pm:  Local OT/photographer Jummel Hidrosollo will be taking professional headshots, free for NOTA members.  Non-members can pay $20 to Jummel.  All photos will be available via a digital download.  Backdrop will be gray.  This is a wonderful opportunity to get a professional photo of yourself for your social media, website, speaker bio, campaign materials, you name it!  Thank you, Jummel, for sharing your talent and services with us. 

6pm-7pm:  Presentation by Shaina Meyer, OTR/L.  See below for session objectives and abstract.  We will be meeting in the Feinberg Education Center.  It is located as you pass the lobby.  It is on the left across the breezeway from Rachel’s Kitchen.

7pm-8pm:  NOTA Board meeting.  All are welcome to attend.

New for 2019: NOTA will broadcast this in-service via Facebook Live for our clinicians in other parts of the state, unable to attend the in-service.  CEUs will be available for those participating remotely via successful completion of a quiz. Email nevadaota@gmail.com for details.  Stay tuned for other changes coming with your NOTA membership. 

Inservice Objectives:

Participants will:

1. Identify the impact that various neurodegenerative diseases have on occupational function.

2. Describe interventions and evidence-based reasoning within the scope of OT practice for people with neurodegenerative diseases.

3. Identify and assess the impact of physical, cognitive and psychosocial symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases on daily function and quality of life.

Speaker Biography:

Shaina received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology, with an emphasis in biology, from Westminster College in Missouri. She continued her education at St. Louis University, where she obtained her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Since joining the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in 2015, she has earned her Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist (MSCS) certification, Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) certification, and is a certified Parkinson Wellness Recovery (PWR!) therapist. For the past four years she has presented at the Advances in Neurological Therapeutics conference for the Cleveland Clinic. In 2017, she was promoted to the role of Clinical Rehab Manager.

Session Abstract:

In 2014, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) dedicated an issue of the AJOT to highlight best practice for OT practitioners working with adults with neurodegenerative diseases. Since then, new research and literature supporting the impact of occupational therapy in persons with neurodegenerative conditions remains underrepresented. Occupational therapists aim to optimize a person’s engagement in occupations throughout the lifespan and for various life roles. This makes them well suited to impact the quality of life for people with neurodegenerative changes as they navigate changes in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial skills. The most current evidence-based case reports, systematic reviews, and areas for research opportunities are presented.

Hope to see you there!