Occupational Therapy and New Technology
The way elders receive and practice occupational therapy is changing due to technological advancements.
To maintain their independence, a lot of the elderly want and need to participate in daily activities. As people get older, however, they have issues that make formerly simple tasks difficult. Seniors receiving occupational therapy at skilled nursing facilities and skilled nursing hospitals learn how to handle home chores, clean themselves, participate in pastimes, and engage in social activities.
We acknowledge occupational therapists’ efforts and dedication in their service delivery as we celebrate Occupational Therapy Month. In bringing seniors back on their feet, let’s look at different technologies that can assist Occupational Therapy in UAE.
Video Games
Object manipulation in 2-D and 3-D is possible with spatial reasoning. Seniors can improve their understanding of location and dimensions by exercising spatial reasoning. Wearing shoes properly, buttoning clothing, traversing the environment, and putting together home objects all require a fair awareness of the items, their dimensions, and their locations.
Seniors can develop spatial reasoning through video games without having to leave the house. For example, basic driving games can help them enhance their spatial reasoning and hand movements.
Applications
For users who are working on their hand movement and function, Dexteria is a hand dexterity and fine motor skills app. The application offers hand exercises that elders could do in the privacy of their own homes. Dexteria is also a great approach to increase hand movement, which is necessary for handwriting.
Tapping, stretching, pinching, clutching, and writing are some of the activities. With each successive exercise, the complexity increases, and the learner is encouraged to exercise precision in their hand movements and push their hand motion further. As a result of using this app, seniors regain their writing abilities and become more capable of carrying items, cooking, and using technology by themselves. To extend therapy outside of a rehabilitation center in Dubai and enhance abilities at home, utilizing Dexteria is an enjoyable option to do so.
Piano Tiles are a great way to develop coordination and precision after you’ve mastered the fundamental motor skills. Piano Tiles is a game in which the player must “play the piano” by tapping the tile that moves down the screen. The speed of the tiles increases as the game proceeds, requiring the player to utilize more power and concentration.
Patients suffering from a stroke benefit greatly from cognitive tools like Rehab Coach. To aid a patient’s slow recovery at home, memory, numeracy, literacy, and sketching tasks are included in the app.
Seniors will benefit from visual training tools as well. An app that tracks visually tracked items on a screen is called Eye Movement Training. An elderly person can benefit greatly from this exercise to train their vision.
Assistive Technologies for Hearing
Sadly, for seniors who have trouble hearing, merely turning up the volume isn’t enough. For hearing-impaired elders, there are a variety of assistive gadgets on the market.
- Hypersound Clear Speakers: Such speakers boost the volume and emit a narrow sound beam that can be picked up by everyone in the listening zone. Your senior can also hear clearly without having to wear headphones with these speakers. Allowing seniors to watch their favorite shows, listen to their favorite playlists, and participate in video conferences with their loved ones, Hypersound clear speakers are ideal for any home.
- CaptionCall Amplified Phone: A normal phone is stressful and sometimes impossible to use for seniors with hearing impairments. By generating captions on a huge screen using voice recognition technologies, CaptionCall improves phone calls. After then, the user can read the text and reply.
Visual Aids
Particularly in the realm of technology for the aged, visual aids have come a long way from simple spectacles. For seniors, the OrCam MyEye 2.0 is a game-changer. It’s a little computer that can be worn with the spectacles.
To help them read content more clearly, people like features such as zoom. A scanner for text and barcodes is also included in the gadget. Clients who struggle to read will like the text-to-speech output. To improve their reading skills, have fun with entertainment, read menus and ingredients, and improve their overall quality of life, elderlies can use OrCam MyEye 2.0.
Computerization and Robotics
To help them regain leg strength and movement, individuals who have mobility issues require rehabilitation. Computerization is currently included in new rehab therapy equipment to enhance therapy and is a great example of the blending of Occupational Therapy and Technology.
Virtual Assistant Technology
Our daily lives are becoming more reliant on virtual assistants like Alexa® and Google Assistant®. Amazon Echo and Google Home are connected to virtual assistants that recognize and respond to the user’s voice. Mobile phones, tablets, and televisions are just a few of the devices that can be connected to smart speakers.
Without having to move or ask for help, your elderly can utilize virtual assistant technology to operate other smart devices and play music, games, and favorite shows. The VA can also schedule rehab therapy for your loved one, and when a reminder comes up, your loved one will hear it.
Smart Footwear
The use of assistive equipment becomes increasingly difficult for seniors due to medical complications, illnesses, and injuries. Selecting the ideal shoes to provide comfort for your loved one’s feet also makes it far easier for them to walk. To improve walking, AposTherapy develops smart shoes that relieve pressure on injured regions of the foot and transfer forces.
At the American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, Occupational Therapy is available.
Occupational therapy is evolving, and thankfully for the better. For healthier senior life, technology is transforming how seniors receive and practice occupational therapy. Contact ACPN, if you need rehab therapy in Abu Dhabi today at +(971-2)-697-9999 to learn more about occupational therapy for your loved one.
