The Memory Unit OT

Halloween on The Memory Unit is always the best!

i’ve always felt this way, and this year was no exception. i recycled my Where’s Waldo costume from last year and made the best of the day. and I’d say that no matter how old you are, there is always joy in being gifted a sweet little treat or a little Halloween candy goodie bag. all of my patients and residents this week enjoyed the holiday (despite being over the age of 65).

Oh! and I made this fun little cheeseboard for dinner that night and while it looked cute, the flavor profiles weren’t my best work. but can we appreciate that Cheeto skeleton?

There is no shame in setting clear boundaries at work.

this has come up several times over the last few weeks, and i feel it needs to be said… we cannot be strong advocates and clinicians for our residents and patients if we are killing ourselves over the job. it’s totally okay to set boundaries, take days off, prioritize your work, and delegate tasks away from yourself if they are not within your scope of practice. take care of yourselves, friends ❤

three words…. Aldi. Advent. Calendars.

so this Wednesday was the release of the Aldi advent calendars and since my husband and i both had the morning off, you bet we were in line! we had a bit of (insert drama here) turmoil last year when 2 old ladies bought out the entire supply of cheese calendars. if you didn’t know or you’re new here… we are cheese people. so a cheese advent calendar is certainly something we’re interested in. our efforts were rewarded this year, and it is awaiting December 1 patiently in our fridge.

side note: i think advent calendars/holiday countdowns are a great thing to incorporate into The Memory Unit. i’m not saying wait in line outside of Aldi before the store opens to get one of each calendar for your residents. but there are lots of ways we can create holiday countdowns for our residents (stay tuned for ideas!)

I’ve decided I have a Love/Hate relationship with DME.

we’ve been working a lot with medical suppliers over the last 2 weeks, and while i truly appreciate the end result (ie. shiny new wheelchair, upgraded chair armrests, fresh new ankle weights) the process of acquiring this equipment makes me nutty. i’d love to know how you maintain your sanity when requesting DME, especially client-specific equipment that requires insurance authorization because i still have not found my coping strategies.

November feels like a good time to set some new rhythms.

daylight savings ends this upcoming weekend, and there is just something about that change that really motivates me to be productive. like, i’m suddenly a morning person (that is until daylight savings starts up again). historically the holiday season is always a swirly whirlwind and i’m deciding here and now that it will not be overwhelming this year. so i’m certainly looking forward to the month ahead.