Project Alternative a Therapeutic Social Group

1975 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 145-149
Author(s):  
Donna A. Campbell

Project Alternative is, by definition, a Therapeutic Social Group. To-day, when occupational therapists are looking beyond hospital walls it stands as an example of community participation. Specifically, Project Alternative is a joint project of the Occupational Therapy Department of the Ottawa Civic Hospital and the Special Needs Section of the Ottawa Y.M. — Y.W.C.A. It was designed to facilitate social rehabilitation in a group of frightened inadequate women frequently with a history of multiple hospital admissions for depression and an inability to initiate regular community involvement. There are so many possibilities for our profession and it is hoped that the lessons learned from this successful venture will inspire other occupational therapists to extend and expand their therapeutic endeavours beyond the traditional boundaries of the hospital.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer Shirk ◽  
Danielle Kerr ◽  
Crystal Saraceni ◽  
Garret Hand ◽  
Michael Terrenzi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Upon the U.S. FDA approval in early November for a monoclonal antibody proven to potentially mitigate adverse outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, our small overseas community hospital U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Spain (USNH Rota) requested and received a limited number of doses. Concurrently, our host nation, which previously had reported the highest number of daily deaths from COVID-19, was deep within a second wave of infections, increasing hospital admissions, near intensive care unit capacity, and deaths. As USNH Rota was not normally equipped for the complex infusion center required to effectively deliver the monoclonal antibody, we coordinated a multi-directorate and multidisciplinary effort in order to set up an infusion room that could be dedicated to help with our fight against COVID. Identifying a physician team lead, with subject matter experts from nursing, pharmacy, facilities, and enlisted corpsmen, our team carefully ensured that all requisite steps were set up in advance in order to be able to identify the appropriate patients proactively and treat them safely with the infusion that has been clinically proven to decrease hospital admissions and mortality. Additional benefits included the establishment of an additional negative pressure room near our emergency room for both COVID-19 patients and, when needed, the monoclonal antibody infusion. In mid-January, a COVID-19-positive patient meeting the clinical criteria for monoclonal antibody infusion was safely administered this potentially life-saving medication, a first for small overseas hospitals. Here, we describe the preparation, challenges, obstacles, lessons learned, and successful outcomes toward effectively using the monoclonal antibody overseas.


2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajaya Kumar Dhakal ◽  
D Shrestha ◽  
A Shakya ◽  
SC Shah ◽  
H Shakya

Introduction: Acute poisonings are one of the common cause of emergency visits and hospital admissions and is potentially preventable cause of childhood mortality and morbidity. The objectives of this study were to identify the common type of poisoning in children, to determine types of poisoning according to age and to find out the common age group in which the incidence of poisoning was high.Materials and Methods: It was a descriptive observational study done in a teaching hospital in Lalitpur, Nepal in patients aged 1 month to 18 years who visited the emergency department and were admitted to hospital with history of alleged poisoning from 2009 July to 2014 January.Results: Fifty patients were included. Drugs, kerosene and organophosphorus were most common cause of poisoning. Drugs and kerosene below 10 years of age and organophosphorus and drugs above 10 years of age were common types of poisoning. Maximum numbers (50%) of children with poisoning cases were below five year of age. Mean duration of hospital stay was 2.1days and mean age of poisoning was 7.8 years with a male(54%) predominance. Majority of poisoning occurred at home (84%) and 68% of patients were symptomatic at presentation to hospital with 84% of patients presenting to hospital within six hours.Conclusion: This study showed that drugs, kerosene and organophosphorus were most common forms of poisoning. Young children were most vulnerable for acute poisoning.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v34i2.10139J Nepal Paediatr Soc 2014;34(2):100-103 


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 102-102
Author(s):  
Alice Prendergast ◽  
Kristi Fuller

Abstract Efforts to include community voice in health policy and service planning are gaining recognition and support in the United States. Findings suggest community involvement can contribute to a better understanding of systems and factors that impact health, and, subsequently, more effective and sustainable policy and program design. Additionally, engagement can increase community buy-in, and community members can gain a greater awareness of services; increased confidence navigating systems; feelings of social connectedness; and capacity to advocate around issues through participation. Despite these findings, the extent to which community members are engaged in planning and decision-making varies considerably. Researchers from Georgia State University conducted a review of state plans on aging using the Person-Centered Outcomes Research Initiative (PCORI) Engagement Principles and the Health Research & Educational Trust’s Community and Patient Engagement Spectrum as frameworks to assess evidence of community engagement. The frameworks recognize engagement throughout the planning process, including design, data collection and interpretation, and dissemination. The review revealed that few planning processes described significant engagement, but rather met the minimal requirements established by federal policy. Federal guidance on community-informed planning practices is sparse, as are resources to support states in adopting these processes. To address this gap, the research team drew on the frameworks and other promising practices to design two community engagement projects, both in partnership with Georgia’s Division of Aging Services. Methods for participant engagement, data collection, interpretation and application of results, and lessons learned through both projects will be discussed, as well as potential implications.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (4_suppl3) ◽  
pp. S281-S292 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Wirth ◽  
Arnaud Laillou ◽  
Fabian Rohner ◽  
Christine A. Northrop-Clewes ◽  
Barbara Macdonald ◽  
...  

Background Fortification of staple foods has been repeatedly recommended as an effective approach to reduce micronutrient deficiencies. With the increased number of fortification projects globally, there is a need to share practical lessons learned relating to their implementation and responses to project-related and external challenges. Objective To document the achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and management responses associated with national fortification projects in Morocco, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Methods Independent end-of-project evaluations conducted for each project served as the primary data source and contain the history of, and project activities undertaken for, each fortification project. Other sources, including national policy documents, project reports from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and other stakeholders, industry assessments, and peer-reviewed articles, were used to document the current responses to challenges and future project plans. Results All projects had key achievements related to the development of fortification standards and the procurement of equipment for participating industry partners. Mandatory fortification of wheat flour was a key success in Morocco and Uzbekistan. Ensuring the quality of fortified foods was a common challenge experienced across the projects, as were shifts in consumption patterns and market structures. Adjustments were made to the projects' design to address the challenges faced. Conclusions National fortification projects are dynamic and must be continually modified in response to specific performance issues and broader shifts in market structure and consumption patterns.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
B. Dhamija ◽  
D. Kombogiorgas ◽  
I. Hussain ◽  
G. A. Solanki

Background. Primary hyperparathyroidism in childhood is a very rare entity, often being diagnosed late after the onset of its presenting symptoms. It most commonly affects patients in their fourth decade of life and beyond. The inclusion of primary hyperparathyroidism in the differential diagnosis is necessary when evaluating patients presenting with nonspecific symptoms such as polyuria, fatigue, weight loss, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.Methods. We report the case of an eleven-year-old girl presenting with three years history of headaches, visual disturbance, along with episodes of emotional lability. Neuroimaging confirmed a large posterior fossa arachnoid cyst. It was decided to manage this lesion conservatively with surveillance. Only after further hospital admissions with recurrent loss of consciousness, dizziness, and nausea to add to her already existing symptoms, a full biochemical and endocrine assessment was performed to look for more specific causes for her presentation. These pointed to a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism.Conclusions. The inclusion of primary hyperparathyroidism in the differential diagnosis should be considered when evaluating paediatric patients presenting with nonspecific (neurological, gastrointestinal, and renal) symptoms in order to establish a prompt diagnosis of the disorder and to avoid severe complications of prolonged hypercalcaemia and end-organ damage.


1986 ◽  
Vol 149 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Kay ◽  
L. A. Opler ◽  
A. Fiszbein

Positive and negative syndromes were studied in relation to demographic, historical, genealogical, clinical, psychometric, extrapyramidal, and follow-up measures of 101 chronic schizophrenic patients. The criterion scales proved to be reliable, normally distributed, and strongly correlated with general psychopathology, but otherwise inversely related to one another. Multiple regression analysis identified sets of 4–6 independent variables that explained 74%-81 % of the scales' variance. A positive syndrome was associated chiefly with productive features, family history of sociopathy, more previous hospital admissions, and longer in-patient stay during the 30-month follow-up period. A negative syndrome correlated with deficits in cognitive, affective, social, and motor spheres, higher incidence of major psychiatric illness but less affective disorder among relatives, lower education, and greater cognitive developmental impairment. The results underscore the importance of genetic and biodevelopmental variables for understanding schizophrenic syndromes.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Smolders-de Haas ◽  
J. Neuvel ◽  
B. Schmand ◽  
p. E. Treffers ◽  
J. G. Koppe ◽  
...  

Potential side effects of antenatal administration of corticosteroids to prevent neonatal respiratory distress syndrome were studied in 10- to 12-year-old children whose mothers had participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of betamethasone. The children had a general physical examination; parents were interviewed about the medical history of their child with special attention to infectious diseases; growth data were collected; and a developmental neurological examination, an ophthalmological examination, and a lung function test were conducted. In the corticosteroid group significantly more hospital admissions because of infectious diseases during the first years of life were reported. On the other variables no differences between the corticoid and the placebo groups were found.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. E11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Schmitt ◽  
John A. Jane

The history of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) demonstrates the importance of studying neurosurgery's history. A story that began with numerous technological advancements started to fizzle as neurosurgeons were stymied by problems encountered during the infancy of the technology they were still developing. The new technique, although sound in theory, failed to deliver a realistic solution for managing hydrocephalus; it lost the battle to the valved shunt. Over the last 15–20 years, a clearer understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying various forms of hydrocephalus, along with effective implementation of evidence-based practice, has allowed for optimization of patient selection and a remarkable improvement in ETV success rates. Neurosurgeons would be wise to take the lessons learned in modernizing the ETV procedure and reassure themselves that these lessons do not apply to other methods that are tempting to dismiss as antiquated or archaic.


1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Weimer

One of the most significant cooperative industry–higher education projects in Europe during the past decade has been EuroPACE, the European Programme of Advanced Continuing Education. In January 1993, EuroPACE ceased its broadcasts and re-entered the planning process. By the time this article has been published, EuroPACE should again be broadcasting, but with a somewhat different format and content. In this article, Bill Weimer presents a brief history of the first five years of EuroPACE and analyses the project. He examines key assumptions and decisions made, points out those which now appear to have been in error, and lists the lessons learned. Many of the assumptions and decisions made were correct; some of these are also discussed. This article will contribute the experience and lessons learned by EuroPACE to other joint industry–higher education projects. It may help them to avoid making some of the same mistakes.


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