JIm Marlowe, clccess Director

Q&A: Get to know Clinical Success Director, Jim Marlowe, COTA/L

What do you do at RESTORE-Skills and in what circumstances would I come to you for something?

  • As a therapist, I have always been passionate about providing the best possible experience for my patients. In my time spent in other roles such as business development, admissions, and management, I always had a focus on customer service and problem-solving. I joined the RESTORE-Skills Customer Success team because I know the best way to help serve the elders in our communities is to ensure that our partners have the knowledge and training to maximize our platform. I would have loved to have RESTORE as a therapist and am now in a role where I can make that a reality for others.

Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

  • My father. I grew up in a family auction business so I dealt with the public from a young age. He always taught me to treat the janitor with the same respect as the CEO. How important relationships and connections are in life.

What is your favorite thing to do when not at work? 

  • We love to thrift and run a part-time reselling business. I also love to attend my sons’ games. My youngest (Landon) plays basketball, my middle son (Kameron) plays soccer and Esports, and my oldest (Nathan) is killing it in the Esports circuit. He started the program at his school.

If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in something, what would it be? 

  • Home repairs. I am the classic Youtube repairman. I know just enough to be dangerous.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? 

  • I am a state-licensed auctioneer (yes I can talk fast).

What led you to this career path?

  • It's really been a combination of my life experiences. I spent 10+ years in sales prior to going back to school to get my COTA license. I have always loved people and now I get to work on a product that directly benefits those same patients I treated in therapy.

What’s one song artist you are embarrassed to admit you like?

  • I don’t really get embarrassed by artists. My playlist has anything from George Jones to Tupac. 

What’s one totally irrational fear you have?

  • Climbing ladders. I hate it. 

Are you a dog person or a cat person (or neither)? 

  • I have always been a cat person but do like dogs. Our greyhound Chase helped to convert me. 

What’s changed you about the COVID-19 pandemic, and why? 

  • I spent the last year and a half in a nursing facility and got to see how COVID affects residents firsthand. The isolation and uncertainty they experienced really opens your eyes to what's important. Family and good friends make all the difference.
Home Safety Scenarios

New “Safely Home” Game Supports Hazard Awareness

After several requests from therapists, we are so excited to launch our newest game designed to help players identify and resolve hazardous scenarios in & around their homes. "Safely Home" allows players to interact with different areas of the home in order to identify and reduce a variety of hazard risks in a fun, engaging, and meaningful way. 

Home SafetySafely Home 

Players work to recognize safety hazards they may encounter inside or outside of home. To play, move the controller to the hazard to activate solution options. Choose the best solution to resolve the safety hazard, until all hazards in the room are corrected. The player will use attention/concentration, safety recognition, problem-solving, judgment, and decision making skills to manage the hazards in the household.  The game addresses balance, activity tolerance/endurance and can be played seated, standing.

 

Home Safety

Adapting one’s home to accommodate the needs of seniors is vital for independence, happiness, and longevity. Therapists can launch "Safley Home" as a means to engage in important conversations with their patients, while players build upon the critical skills needed for a safe discharge. 

We love hearing from you!

We were built by therapists for therapists. In fact, our most popular game "Jackpot" was suggested to us by an OT in Colorado. Be sure to share your thoughts on the game "Safely Home", including any suggestions you have for additions to the game.

Our team is always looking to improve our existing games & create new ones to address the skills you target in your sessions. So, please don't be shy! Send your tips, fixes, or ideas to info@restoreskills.com!


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!

 

spread the restore love

Spread the RESTORE Love!

We love bringing you seasonal versions of your favorite games to help boost patient experience! This month, we have two Valentine’s themed games Slots of Love and Cupid’s Arrow. Therapists, Care Partners, and players will fall head-over-heels for these fun and vibrant activities! 

icon for Slots of Love gameSlots of Love

We know players love the virtual slot machine, making it a favorite game year-round. In the themed-game Slots of Love, players will pull the lever to collect three (3) matching Valentine’s items! A perfect activity for patients working on activity tolerance or UE range of motion. When asked why it was their favorite, one player said, "I have to really concentrate on it. It makes me change hands too. It's a great, fun game. I love it!" Reminder: If a player pulls a rare "Triple WILD" jackpot, let us know, and we'll send them a special gift! 

 

Cupid’s Arrowicon for Cupid's Arrow game

Help Cupid make a love connection by playing our Valentine’s game Cupid’s Arrow. Using your controller with one hand (small controller) or both hands (larger controller), focus Cupid’s bow on a couple to strike them with love! 💗 Make sure to aim for the center of the couple to release the arrow. A great game for those players working on reaching, crossing the midline,  or targeting balance.

Slots of Love winner

Looking for new ways to engage your residents this Valentine’s Day?! Here are a few tips for your next event: 
  • Make use of the abundance of red decorations hanging around your center and use a paper heart or another fun item as a controller during a special Love Day session.  If the player is wearing red, however, be sure to use contrasting colors to play! 
  • Set up a special partnered session of Cupid’s Arrow and have them work together to strike the couples on screen with an arrow. 
  • Organize a Valentine's-themed competition to see who can get the highest score in Slots of Love during a group therapy session.
  • Award your top players or group therapy participants with candy, flowers, or homemade cards! 

We can’t wait to see all the ways you use these games to boost the patient experience and get them moving (and loving it!)  


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!

 

Thankful for more RESTORE!

Beans, greens, potatoes, stuffing, pie…yum! We can’t wait to eat & celebrate with our families next week. Luckily, your players can start their festivities early with these Thanksgiving-themed games! Have fun with the following activities while you reminisce with your patients and families about their favorite holiday stories. They’ll be grateful you did!


Turkey Hunt 

What’s Thanksgiving without the turkey?! In this game, players aim the target at a turkey & dwell on shooting. After playing, a patient said, “I like that it makes you competitive with yourself, and it’s fun to compete with the other patients. I love it! It exercised my arms and mind while having fun!” Launch this game to work on bilateral coordination, accuracy, and range of motion. After all this turkey, you might need a nap!

Fall Feast

It’s time to set the table for your big family dinner! Control the pilgrim by moving side to side to catch the fall feast items shown (listed from bottom to top) while avoiding the incorrect items. When playing this game, a speech therapist in the Marquis network said: “This is great for working memory!” You’ll have your plate full with options, like playing with a controller attached to the hand, head, chest, or finger. Be sure to adjust the range of motion based on the amount of movement desired for your player.


Throwing a Thanksgiving meal for your residents and looking to add some fun?!  These games will have them laughing, reminiscing, and returning for seconds. Log in today to satisfy your appetite! 🍽🦃

Follow  RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To have your story featured on our blog, please contact our social media manager via email amanda@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!”

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!

*Update* One-Click RESTORE!

When you log in now, you will find that RESTORE has changed for the better!

We’ve said “sayonara” to Five-Click RESTORE and would like to introduce One-Click RESTORE!

Log-in, pick a functional skill, and booyah – engaging therapy is happening!

The Update:

  • Quickly choose from 12 functional skills with familiar titles and easy-to-understand graphic representations (Isolated Flexion/Extension, Cognition, Functional Reach, Activity Tolerance, and Balance)
  • Launch a skill-focused activity session in under 30 seconds
  • Decide if you want to save the results and the set of game you just played after you’re done

We also went ahead and added game instructions and the skills that will be addressed for each game. Use these to explain to the patient how to play and what skills they’re working on.

This update significantly cuts down setup time. We cannot wait for you to check it out! Don’ t forget to track user’s daily progress!

Follow our blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements,  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!

Sequencing Activities of Daily Living

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!

 

 

 

RESTORE Recommended Sessions

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!

GOOOOAAAAL!

You already know that soccer’s the number one sport around the world, but did you it’s also the inspiration behind our newest game? In Bounce It, players practice their dribbling skills by bouncing a virtual ball with their knees or feet!

To play, align your head and shoulders with the silhouette on the game screen. Calibrate the red, green, or blue object attached to your lower extremities and then calibrate the desired height for each leg by following the on-screen prompts. Once calibrated, lift the leg that matches the color of the dropping ball to the calibrated white line and pop the ball in the air. 

Bounce It is great for targeted practice of balance, hip and knee range of motion, transitional/up and down movements, and endurance.

  • Can be played with 1 or 2 controllers.
  • Play standing or sitting, with or without support.
  • See the settings below for the option to play based on time or level, whether you want to alternate legs lifting or a random order, and the size of the ball.

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!