This month’s Clinician Who Inspires is Montana Heald, DOR, PTA, and Champion Level II Therapist at Prairie Meadows Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. During the interview, Montana emphasized the importance of understanding each resident, talking with them about their interests, learning what motivates them, and building strong rapport.
She explained that making therapy fun, made possible through an understanding of each patient, is key to keeping the residents excited and engaged. Montana and her team utilize creative interventions that tie back to individual interests and motivations. A resident favorite at Prairie Meadows is a game where the residents use Nerf blasters to hit targets while also working on eye hand coordination, standing balance, reaching to grab the objects from the floor, and ambulating around obstacles. The team at Prairie Meadows inspires fun around the holiday celebrations as well. Each year just before Thanksgiving, residents take part in a “Turkey Bowl” using a frozen Cornish hen wrapped in plastic wrap and bowling pins. This event sparks plenty of holiday joy!
Montana reiterated the benefits of thinking outside the box with therapy interventions by encouraging creative, functional activities that promote both strengthening and function. Music, a powerful motivator for many residents, is often an excellent component to incorporate into therapy. Whether it’s working on standing balance while singing or playing a game that requires stopping movement when the music pauses, residents stay challenged with a blend of movement and music.
Thank you for your creative and fun approach to patient care, Montana. You truly are a Clinician Who Inspires!