"I can't believe it's in a butter tub!" OT537 Multimedia project

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For the multimedia project I was assigned a 51-year old woman with MS and a butter tub. Alice was diagnosed with secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis. She has been experiencing fatigue, numbness/loss of sensation in the hands and forgetfulness. Before the diagnosis Alice enjoyed gardening but hasn't been able to take care of one recently. My goal is to demonstrate and explain the purpose of Alice's OT intervention while using a butter tub to engage Alice in gardening again. 

When brainstorming ideas for this project I really had to think about the needs of the client in respect to what I could do with the tub. I decided planting aloe vera would be a simple but meaningful activity for Alice. I consulted with my dad to decide on aloe vera. My ah-ha moment was his approval. Yay! It will work! I like that aloe serves the purpose of burn relief. I would also suggest herbs or something small that could grow on a window sill. 

This project definitely allowed me to look at a simple object with new eyes. This is one of the things I love about OT. We take what we have, in this case a butter tub, and we build on it to engage our clients in things that they find meaningful. I will definitely use this skill in the future when faced with situations with limited resources. 

Watch this video to see how I planted aloe for Alice! https://youtu.be/HNPThv9vku0 

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