Residents@JV

USI O/T Students

University of Southern Indiana students Kendra Banschbach, Karen Fowler, and Jeremy Gorman are majoring in the field of Occupational Therapy. A requirement of their studies to complete their degree is to develop and provide O/T services for a facility that could potentially benefit from these services. This type of program in O/T studies is called the Synthesis Course. Barb Williams, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at USI, and a member of the Jacob’s Village Board of Directors is directing these students through this project with the residents of Jacob’s Village. Since January, these students have been visiting Jacob’s Village every Saturday at 2:00pm to involve the residents in different types of activities. These activities include pitching balls of all sorts back and forth to each other, putting golf balls, scavenger hunts and word association games to stimulate the mind. Exercise type of activities that are designed to work the range of motion in the arms, shoulders, legs, and trunk rotation that benefit our flexibility. One afternoon they had mixing dough in a bowl that each one of us rolled up, cut in half in equal lengths, braided them in a small circle, put’em in a pan, baked them in the oven and they came out napkin holders. While we were waiting for them to bake, the USI students opened up the paint, paint brushes, assorted sponge shapes, and stencils and we painted masterpieces. The last session of the student’s project they left us a small token of their appreciation and cooperation. Karen had recently been to Albuquerque, New Mexico and picked up a few Indian crafts such as a couple of dream-catchers and some specially painted little bobble-head frogs carved out of wood that she gave us. We really enjoyed their eagerness, attitude, and ambition to help us in a positive way and we miss them dearly since their course work has been completed. We wished them the best of luck and happiness in their future plans.

posted by J V Resident Blog @ 9:46 AM