Tag Archives: games

fun group therapy

Can You Participate in 2 Group Sessions at the Same Time?

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To wrap up this series of posts, I’m happy to share one more joyful moment from my trip to our MA facilities last month. If you have yet to read my other posts about great customer experiences, you can find them here, but now I am thrilled to share a fun group therapy story with you.

Meeting Diane

This time, we’re back to Cedar View Rehab! On this day, the therapy team had every patient participate in some epic group play. Here I met Diane, RESTORE’s #1 fan, who blew me away when she participated in two group sessions back-to-back! It was truly a delight to see her so eager to engage.

For their group session, the therapists split people into two playing groups. Each station was set up to play Ski Saga where players worked on weight shifting, trunk rotation, squatting, strengthening, and standing tolerance. It was great to see the variety of exercises and controllers used to enhance the session. The whole room was full of excitement players took turns “skiing” to reach their therapy goals.

The RESTORE Difference

In her first session, Diane used a dowel rod to work on standing trunk rotation and upper extremity strengthening. Still energized after soaring through her first session, she joined my group where she practiced weight-shifting, squatting, and balance. Even when a therapist told Diane, “you can take a break and sit down if you’d like” she continued to play, pushing herself to complete each task. 

When she finally agreed to take a break, I showed Diane her playing time.  The smile on her face was undeniable when she realized she played for over 20 minutes! “I feel great,” she said, “I was having so much fun, I didn’t even realize I was playing so long!” The room buzzed with happiness from the fun and everyone seemed to have a better day because of it.

Do you have any fun stories from a RESTORE group play session? Tell me about it by sending an email with your story and a few of your favorite pictures. We can’t wait to share the smiles from all our users! 

Follow  RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

 

increasing patient independence

“I’ve got this, I don’t need help!”

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Thank you for following these posts as I share another happy moment from my trip to our MA Marquis facilities. If you haven’t had the chance to read my first blog post about Maria or the second post about Joe, you can find them here. But now, I am thrilled to share Madeline’s story about patient independence!

Meeting Madeline

Elmhurst Rehab was the first facility I visited during my trip, talk about a perfect way to begin the week. Their therapy team was so excited to get started, and that energy spread to everyone who played that afternoon. During our session, one of the OTs brought in a patient “who was already in love” with RESTORE. Now, if I had one word to describe Madeline, it would be fierce! As she told us, this wasn’t her first time playing, and she was ready to show off! 

The RESTORE Difference

During her session, Madeline worked on a targeted range of motion and strengthening her upper extremities. I was very impressed when she picked one of the toughest games, Ancient Temple, for her session. Now, I’ve played this game myself, and I can tell you that after a few minutes, your shoulders and arms will feel the burn! But with each level, Madeline kept climbing higher and higher. Even when met with a challenge, she pushed through until the level was complete. Having fun helped her independence and pushed her to play unassisted. Even when our Clinical Director, Ian, tried to guide her with a task, Madeline said, “I’ve got this, I don’t need help”!

With all it’s levels, Ancient Temple is a game that can last for over 12 minutes! And Madeline, being the independent person she is, reached the final one! What was even more incredible was the fact that this was only one of the games she played that afternoon. I was amazed by Madeline’s efforts and loved getting to know her fierce personality.

Do you have any stories about RESTORE helping with patient independence? Tell me about it by sending me an email. We want to share your smiles, tips, and ideas with all our users.  

Follow  RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

WOmna plays online therapy games with therapist

Therapy that Patients Love to Tell Their Families About!

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Last month, I visited several of our facilities in the Marquis Health Services network. It was amazing to see how happy patients in therapy are when practicing with RESTORE!  I was so thrilled to see patient’s smiles, laughter, and sense of achievement in “real life” and not only over the phone or by reading testimonials. These moments remind me of why I love my job and I want to share my amazing experience with you over the next few blog posts.

Meeting Maria

During a visit to Cedar View Rehab, I was thrilled to meet Maria who was recovering from knee surgery and recently began working on standing tolerance in her therapy sessions. Maria was eager to play, even though she “wasn’t sure what to do” at first. Well, as it turns out, she was born natural when it comes to RESTORE.  Using her walker and guided by a therapist, Maria worked on standing tolerance, balance, weight shifting, and squatting. It was amazing to see how incredibly determined she was throughout her session. Even when she felt pain or discomfort, she pushed herself to reach the next goal! 

The RESTORE Difference

When she finished playing, a huge smile spread across Maria’s face. She couldn’t believe she engaged with the game for over 7 minutes! The energy from her RESTORE session carried over into her other treatment, still smiling as she talked to others in the group about the games. As I was leaving, Maria even introduced me to her son who came to visit! It was a wonderful morning and it felt great to be part of her good day.

My visit to Cedar View was special because it showed me the immediate impact of RESTORE. I saw the difference once therapists pushed past their comfort zone to embrace an innovative tool. I saw her pride when Maria pushed herself to stand and exercise longer than she thought she could. And I got to see her share that moment with her son. It was truly incredible to see how happy patients in therapy were when practicing with RESTORE!

Now that I’ve shared Maria's story, I wanna hear yours! Send me an email of your own experience, we’d love to hear how RESTORE is helping you have a better day. 

Follow  RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

Announcing Our RESTORE Halloween Photo Contest 🎃

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October 28th through November 1st, we’re running a RESTORE Halloween Photo Contest! To enter, simply send us a photo of your therapy team & patients playing our one of our SPOOKTACULAR Single Play games. The top 2 photo submissions will receive a Sweet Treat Basket!

Ready, Set, Scare:

  • The photo must feature a therapist, care partner, and/or patient playing one of the Halloween themed Single Play games
  • Be sure to include your name, your patient’s name, & the facility name with your photo
  • Sign & submit this waiver for each person featured in the photo
  • Submissions will be accepted via email amanda@restoreskills.com and text message (234) 303-0723
  • The two (2) winners will be informed on Tuesday, November 5th

So, throw on your costume, turn up the Monster Mash, & host your own RESTORE Halloween Party! May the best ghoul win 👻

-- the RESTORE Team

“Take Flight” with Our New Reaction-Testing Game

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Our newest RESTORE activity takes players out of the therapy gym and into the blue skies above…at least virtually! You will facilitate greater engagement while supporting residents as they practice to improve their reaction time

To play Take Flight, patients navigate their plane side to side or up and down through the obstacles on the screen! The speed continues to increase until the player either (1) crashes their plane 🔥 or (2) manually ends the game. Keep track to see who can get the highest score!

Why Play?

Each of our games is designed to increase skill practice while improving function and Take Flight is no exception! Add this game to a player’s session to:

  • Improve reaction & response time
  • Increase stability & standing tolerance
  • Target visual perceptual & scanning skills
  • Maintain required proper postural alignment to increase endurance & independence with tasks by strengthening the upper extremities. 

This game is ideal for concurrent or group therapy settings! Want to see who can clear the most obstacles? Improve patient socialization skills with a little friendly competition by encouraging 2 or more residents to play at the same time. Motivate skill practice and track user’s daily progress by adding Take Flight to your next session.

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!

More Opportunities for Practice!

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Because we know that providing unique opportunities for repeated skill practice in a fun, positive environment improves mood and function, we added *three (3) more games* to the RESTORE platform. More games = more opportunities for meaningful skill-building & practice! 

What’s New?

Each of the following games can be used to target an array of skills, in a variety of positions for the just-right-fit!

BREAK THE ICE

Break all of the ice bricks! In this game, the player moves a paddle left and right along the bottom of the screen. Break all the blocks on the screen by bouncing the ball off the paddle. If the ball falls off the bottom of the screen, you lose a life. Some bricks release power-ups when broken - make sure you catch them and use them to break more ice! Skills: This game aims to improve accuracy, awareness, stability, motor regulation, planning, and midline crossing. Use two controllers to focus on bilateral coordination.  

  • Play with one or two controllers (attached or separated).
  • Recommended playing with a controller attached to the hand, head, chest or finger.
  • Change the range of motion based on the amount of movement desired for the player.

LADYBUGS

Control the bridge/s over the water to line up to the ladybugs to help them cross the river. Don’t let the fly’s cross! Stars and hearts are bonuses! Skills: This game aims to improve accuracy, efficiency, and attention. Ideal for targeting motor control and inhibition. Use two controllers to focus on bilateral coordination.

  • It can be played with 1 or 2 controllers (attached or separated).
  • Recommended playing with controllers attached to hands, knees or chest. Use weights and tilt camera up to work on shoulder press motion.
  • Attach to knee/s to work on weight shifting and balance. Attach to the chest and have the player step up and down on a step or into a squat position to reach the top and bottom of the river.
  • See the settings below for the specific skills/areas you can target including vertical and horizontal movement (Movement direction), visual tracking starting on the right, left or both sides (Bugs Appear From) and the number of bridges to control vertically (Number of Rivers to Cross).

SPACEBOARD

Help the surfer move to avoid hitting obstacles in their path. Play with one controller and move your body up, down, and side to side to collect coins and avoid obstacles. Skills: Ideal for improving balance, range-of-motion, and motor planning & timing.  

  • Play with one controller.
  • Recommended playing with controllers attached to hands, knees or chest
  • Tilt camera up to target lower extremities.
  • Incorporate a “real “ space board for your patient to stand on when playing, using a step or stool.

Add one or all of these games to a player’s session to encourage practice and track player’s daily progress! Don't have access to the platform? No problem, give us a call or email us! 

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!

Sequencing Activities of Daily Living

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The ability to perform Activities of Daily Living is dependent upon cognitive, motor, and perceptual skills. There is also the critical distinction of a patient's ability to complete a task (physical and cognitive ability) versus the ability to recognize the job that needs to be done without prompting (cognitive ability). Each ADL and IADL involves a series of steps that are performed together in a specific sequence, without first mastering the proper sequence, it’s hard to complete these tasks correctly. As such, to accelerate practice and help patients establish an understanding of ADLs, we've created the game Sequence It!

Why Play?

  • Target & evaluate motor planning skills
  • Maintain required proper postural alignment to increase endurance & strengthen upper extremities.
  • Improve working memory skills

GAME UPDATE! 

We love receiving feedback from our users about the game, along with their ideas for which sequencing activities to include next.

Based on our suggestions, we've added a new task for your patients to practice. The latest Sequence It! the job, Making Dinner - Soup, asks players to select the correct sequence of events using the six cards on the screen.  As you can see, the player will correctly order the six (6) actions listed in the cards: (1) open can; (2) put the soup in pan; (3) warm on the stove; (4) serve; (5) eat with a spoon; (6) clean up!

We all know the saying, “don’t put your shoes on before your socks”...

Well, how about the correct sequence for grocery shopping, brushing your teeth, or making a doctor’s appointment? A highly useful strategy to guide patients in the sequential performance of ADLs and IADLs includes breaking down the task into smaller steps.  Sequence It! is designed to help your patients (and you) work through everyday daily tasks while further developing motor skills, planning, comprehension, reasoning.

Sequence It! features three different tasks to choose from grocery shopping, making a doctor’s appointment, and brushing your teeth, allowing players can practice these skills and monitor their daily progress in a fun and engaging environment.  Players need to select the correct sequence of events using the 4-5 images and words on the screen.

Adding this game to your players' sessions will promote the understanding of sequencing activities and encourage confidence when practicing ADLs. So, put away your box of flash cards, grab a red, green, or blue object & add Sequence It! to your patient's next session.

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule a obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

 

 

 

Mo Money, Less Problems

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Who doesn’t like money?! Our guess is no one! And while money doesn’t grow on trees, you’ll find no shortage of the green stuff in our newest game Money Mania!  Our newest game requires players to complete a variety of rehab-driven tasks involving money ranging from the basic matching of bills to the collecting bills in order to reach a specified amount. Each activity has 4 levels that increase with difficulty as they are played through. To select a bill, players use the hand to hover over the bill of their choice.

  • Matching: Collect all of the bills that match the requested one in the instructions
  • Sequencing: Collect the bills and arrange them in ascending value. Check your answer or use "reset" to start over
  • Totaling: Collect the bill/s that total closest to the dollar up cost of the given amount

Like most of our games, Money Mania! allows players to practice both cognitive and motor skills. As they work through the various tasks involving money - encourage your patients to play with one or two hands together while sitting to expand the range of motion, strengthen their upper extremities, or cross the mid-line. Players can also practice standing, with or without support, to target balance and endurance.

How will you incorporate Money Mania! into your player's next therapy session? Let us know in the comments!

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!

 

We’re Heading to the Big Easy!

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Raise your hand if you're ready for #AOTA19 🤚🤚🤚

 

This winter has been a cold one for our team up north! So, we’re just a *little* excited for the chance to network with OT professionals in the Big Easy! April 4-6, 2019, our team will be exhibiting the latest RESTORE innovations at the American Occupational Therapy Association conference in New Orleans, Louisiana!

At the RESTORE booth, we will be offering demos of our skill-building activities. Stop by Booth # 619 and give it a try or just say hi! We look forward to discussing how we can partner with you to meet and exceed your needs as we prepare for PDPM.

Use #RESTOREwithUs on #AOTA19 posts for a chance to be featured  on our Facebook and Twitter. See ya there!

Not attending the conference this year? Not to worry, follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!

 

RESTORE Recommended Sessions

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Ask, and you shall receive! In response to multiple user requests, we are excited to share another platform update with you! This week, we launched our RESTORE Recommended sessions to help you choose the right course for your patients.

We have learned that choosing the right activity for every skill can be a challenge. And because deciding which activity to play to support specific skill development can take some time, especially when you’re just getting started, we developed a solution. Our recommended sessions were produced by therapists that use the platform to make it easier to start your skill-focused practice. You can find and start using these sessions, marked as RESTORE Recommended, in your Session Bank!

The RESTORE Recommended sessions are:

  • New User Training
  • RH Speech Skills
  • LH Range of Motion
  • RH Range of Motion
  • 2H Range of Motion
  • 2H Standing Endurance Reaching
  • 2L Knee Extension or Flexion

Watch this tutorial for a step-by-step guide on how to assign one of these sessions to a player of your choosing! We hope each these sessions help you to become better acquainted with the games and encourage more significant movement & practice from your patients. Be sure to read more about these sessions and the recorded daily progress metrics here. 

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!