Originally published on South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Getting dressed can be exhausting when arthritis and age affect hand strength and fine motor skills. Occupational therapy students at the Miami campus of University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) say their immersive learning experiences was tiring, but worthwhile.
“I found it difficult to put on my vest and fasten many of the buttons on my clothing. I have never taken so many rest breaks in my life and was winded during the simulated activity,” said Andrea King, who is completing her master’s in occupational therapy at King and her classmates wore special gear including wrist weights, gloves, and vision impairment glasses, to experience the limitations of aging.
Assistant Professor Sabina Khan, PhD, OTD, says the immersive program at USAHS Miami goes beyond the typical one-day simulations that other programs might offer. In research published in the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, Khan and colleague Jacqueline Achon, OTD, MS, a Clinical Instructor, noted a marked improvement in empathy among students who participated in the simulation over several days.
Students wore geriatric simulation suits and ankle weights, wrist weights, a weighted vest, knee restraints, elbow restraints, gloves, and cataract impairment glasses in order to experience how common aspects of aging affect daily living. They were then asked to rate the level of difficulty for tasks such as getting dressed, meal preparation, and laundry.
“The simulation teaches clinical reasoning skills while fostering a deepened empathy and a nuanced understanding of the integral role occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) play in enhancing the quality of life for older adults,” says Khan.
King says she learned the importance of adapting the treatment to accommodate a patient’s needs, which was useful during her internship at a skilled nursing facility.
“I made several modifications to the equipment used and adjusted the repetitions accordingly,” she says. “I realized that many of my patients were lethargic not due to lack of effort, but because aging limits their performance, especially if they have underlying health conditions.”
“The combination of restricted movement and limited vision made moving around feel disorienting and physically exhausting,” says Marco Jimenez, who is in his third year at USAHS Miami. “These aspects of the simulation really emphasized how much effort older adults need to put into tasks we might typically consider simple and take for granted, like walking or climbing stairs.”
Geriatric simulation has become a fundamental element of the occupational therapy education program at USAHS Miami, bridging the gap between theory and practical experience. Khan says the immersive experience gives students a direct experience with the challenges associated with aging.
“More than a classroom activity, this lab encourages deep engagement with the conditions older adults face. It fosters an immediate empathy that traditional learning methods cannot achieve,” says Khan. “Students gain invaluable insights into the everyday realities of older adults, and are better prepared to provide empathetic, individualized care to their patients.”
