By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

There are specific benefits for people who recover from injuries, convalesce from illnesses, and receive palliative end of life care in the home versus in a hospital or extended care facility. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and travel therapists in these fields play key roles in home health care, especially for seniors. Now, there is recent research showing just how valuable physical and occupational therapy can be for the elderly in their homes.

The study was done by researchers from the Applied Research no Aging and Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. The study participants were seniors living in their homes who were otherwise healthy but starting to experience functional challenges (trouble bending, opening jars, button clothing, get out of the tub, etc.).

It showed that those who received specific physical and occupational therapy interventions lived on average three and a half years longer than those who did not receive the rehab therapy. In addition to physical and occupational therapy, the intervention also included minor safety modifications to participants’ homes.

Physical and occupational therapists play valuable assessment, problem solving and therapeutic roles in home health. Therapists as well as traveling physical therapists and travel occupational therapists teach seniors to perform activities of daily living in a safe way that conserve energy, provide balance and stability training, educate seniors and their families about fall prevention, and provide memory retraining exercises in some instances.

Rehabilitation therapy interventions in the homes have been proven to increase the life expectancy, social and psychological health and quality of life for America’s aging population. There is a huge need for physical therapy travel jobs and occupational therapy travel jobs (and those who aspire to enter the field) who want to make a difference in this area of home health.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Following, is part two of my conversation with Candace Berk, President of Cirrus Allied (formerly MDI Medical).

What kind of advice would you give to new travel therapists?

Make sure your company has your back and understands your career goals. For instance, some people just want to try one travel assignment and see if it works or just travel for the summer. Others may come across a facility where they would like a permanent position. Those are all things that we can accommodate, but it’s important for all therapists to make sure that their travel company understands what they want and not what the company needs.

How can new travel therapists determine which agency is best for their needs?

To start with, it comes down to your relationship with your travel recruiter. Are they calling you back when they said they would?  Are they clear on the job expectations? Do you trust that how they will represent you will be based on what you want? Do you connect with them? Are they listening to what you need? Ask for therapist references.

Can travel therapy work if the therapist has a family?

Most of our travelers will be young and not yet have a family.  They will do travel therapy jobs before they settle down.  We also have empty nesters as travel therapists.

We do have people who travel with families who make it work either by home schooling their kids or keeping the therapist busy in the area they want to work in.  We’re a large enough company where we have that kind of flexibility.

Which travel therapy careers are most in demand now?

Physical, occupational and speech therapists are all in high demand now. It also depends on the setting. For instance, speech language pathologists are most in demand by schools.  Across the board, physical therapists are needed everywhere.  Physical therapists and occupational therapists are both needed in home health.

In closing?

As a travel therapist, your job is to enable patient satisfaction. If you’re focused on that, everybody wins.

Cirrus Allied (formerly MDI Medical)
www.mdimedical.com

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

As promised, here are the highlights of a very informative conversation I recently had with a representative from Atlanta, Texas and Charlotte based Cirrus Allied, a valued travel agency partner of Allied Travel Careers.  I spoke with President Candace Berk about her company, what they look for in travel therapists and advice she has for aspiring travel therapists.

What makes Cirrus Allied stand out from other travel therapy companies?

Cirrus Allied, formerly MDI medical, has been in the travel therapy market for 7 years. We dedicated ourselves specifically to the therapy market before it was cool to be in therapy. Our therapist clients find it great that we have a niche focus in a broad setting. We place therapists in schools, government settings, home health agencies, hospitals and in skilled nursing facilities across the country. We have also received outstanding recognition for our customer service. We understand that therapists have their choice of companies to work with and are honored that they choose us. We also offer excellent benefits, something we’re seeing competitors drop in the current market. We have a broad client base and get travel therapy jobs anywhere in the country.

Who are the best candidates for a career in travel therapy?

Therapists who have at least one year of experience who want to grow their resume, experience level, and make more money doing it. They have to be adaptable to different clinical settings while understanding that certain personality traits match up with each setting. It’s not just about matching up clinical skills.

What are the most important questions new travel therapists should ask about a new assignment?

They should get a clear expectation of the pay rate, benefits, housing specifics (some companies really shave money on the housing), job expectations including caseload and really the totally package from their recruiter and the client. Unfortunately in this market there are many verbal commitments so they should make sure the promises are all in writing. Also ask about the orientation provided. Most places provide anywhere between 8-24 hours. Once a therapist has some experience traveling, they generally know how things work other than learning a few new idiosyncrasies of each new place. Very often we’ll sit in on the phone interviews with clients to make sure it’s the right fit, especially if they’re new to travel.

See our next blog for the conclusion of my interview with Cirrus Allied President and travel therapy industry expert Candace Berk.

Cirrus Allied (formerly MDI Medical)
www.mdimedical.com

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

As part of my research for upcoming columns, I have had the pleasure of interviewing travel therapy recruitment representatives from www.AlliedTravelCareers.com list of valued partner agencies. I have to admit that, even though I was well aware of the need for rehab therapists in hospitals and acute care settings across the country, I had no idea the extent of staffing needs in this area of medicine.

Each travel agency representative I have interviewed so far (with several more to go), has expressed a great need for physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists who are looking for travel therapy jobs. One representative even pointed out that the definition of “travel” is a flexible one that can mean within 50 miles from your home.  Many of these same recruiters are hiring therapists into permanent positions.  If you are a therapist looking to custom design your career – from assignment locations (Texas is overflowing with available assignments) to salary, comprehensive benefits, your choice of clinical settings and assignment flexibility – this is absolutely the time to contact a recruiter from our partner agencies.

Stay connected with the blog here on ATC for more details from these interviews including specific information about the travel therapy companies and what they have to offer. Whether you are already a traveling therapist or considering a career in travel physical therapy, travel occupational therapy, or travel speech language pathology, the information generously shared by these industry experts will benefit your career.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Burns are one of the most traumatic injuries the human body can endure.  Multiple body systems are simultaneously involved and, depending on the severity, burns can appear deceivingly non-threatening while doing most of their dirty work beneath the damaged skin. Damaged blood vessels dilate causing inflammation and edema are typically listed among many other life threatening problems.  Once the patient is stabilized and undergoes graft surgery, the rehabilitation work begins.

Following surgery, the possibility of webbing between fingers and toes along with the presence of scar tissue and its potential to prevent debilitating contractures, especially in joints, requires the skilled touch of a physical therapist. Patients with the most severe (third and fourth degree) burns are the ones who most often require intensive physical therapy (often called “physiotherapy” for those traveling physical therapist considering assignments in English speaking countries overseas). If not prevented through rehabilitation, skin, joint, muscle, tendon and ligament contractures can have a devastating effect on a burn patient’s life.  Rigid, contracted limbs can easily become the end of mobility and independence for patients.

Speech therapists and speech language pathologists are also an integral part of the burn patient’s treatment team in the case of smoke inhalation injuries.  Occupational therapists have a vital role in helping burn patients relearn activities of daily living.

Traveling physical therapists, travel occupational therapists and travel speech therapists all have the opportunity to have a positive and permanent effect on the lives of burn patients around the world. With the average rehabilitation time for serious burns being 18 months to two years, there are undoubtedly many opportunities for assignments in this area of patient care.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

In the past, nursing homes were largely regarded as an elderly person’s final residence. After living a long and independent life and then suffering a debilitating injury or chronic illness that compromises their independence, it was generally accepted that the person would be more than happy to spend the rest of the life in a state of peaceful rest and relaxation, playing cards in the community room and having their every personal needs taken care of. This may all change with the aging baby boomers.

Aging members of the baby boomer population notoriously relish their independence, freedom and resilience. This will likely extend to their attitude on illness, injury and their expectations for recovery.  Add to the mix the fact that seniors in this demographic are working longer and therefore are most likely transitioning directly from an active work and personal life directly to injury and illness, with no traditional retirement hiatus in between.  Occupational therapists and traveling occupational therapists already working with this age group are probably seeing their patients’ distinct unwillingness to rest or relax after suffering a health setback – no matter how severe.  In fact, occupational therapy is a hot service item in nursing homes for patients who, rather than settling into the role of “nursing home resident” are using the facilities as temporary rehabilitation pit stops between injury and recovery.

Consider that as of 2008 there were 78 million baby boomers, well over 4000 long term care facilities such as nursing homes and 1.4 million residents in those facilities. As patients in this demographic start seeking out occupational therapy versus bingo on a regular basis, the demand for occupational therapists and travel occupational therapists may increase even more than already predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (23 percent by 2016).

Additional Sources Used: U.S. Census Bureau

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

If an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure than physical therapists, occupational therapists and traveling rehab therapists in these fields have many reasons to be optimistic. It is important for rehab therapists including traveling physical therapists and travel occupational therapists to remind the public that it’s not necessary to wait until something is broken, pulled, strained, dislocated or twisted before seeking the services of a therapist.  Here are some specific patient demographics for traveling therapists with a passion for patient preventative education to target for assessments and consultations.

Elderly Patients: Fall prevention, balance and core stability are key preventative measures for this age group. Traveling occupational therapists can also focus on risks that elderly patients encounter in their activities of daily living.

Weekend Warriors: Teach these ambitious folks to seek out therapy before they find themselves sprawled on the basketball floor or at the bottom of a ski slope. They can benefit from ROM assessments, teaching about proper warm up and stretching techniques and an assessment to determine their health level for desired sports and activities along with recommendations for maximum exertion levels.

Office Workers: Therapists are a valuable source of info for employees at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive use injury and other ergonomic issues.

Child Athletes: Physical therapists are an excellent resource for young athletes and their parents to learn about how to prevent injuries and assessments for any movement, alignment or balance issues that place the child at a higher risk for problems.

All of the Above: All individuals suffering the regular aches and pains of life can benefit from a therapy assessment to learn how a more conservative therapy approach may benefit them more than their medications or other forms of current relief.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

Recently, members of Allied Travel Careers attended the 2009 AOTA Conference & Expo. The conference, held from April 23-26 in Houston was great success for us. We met a lot occupational therapists and student OTs along with a few current and existing clients. We believe that the future is bright for occupational therapists and we hope that we got some of them interested in occupational therapy travel jobs.

We came loaded with goodies which kept us busy at our booth throughout the conference. One of the attractions at our location was the fact that we were giving away an Acer notebook computer, which is a lot of computer in a very small package. We thought that it would be ideal for an occupational therapist requiring flexibility and mobility in a computing device.

We would like to thank the hundreds of visitors to our booth that entered our contest. But of course, there can only be one winner. And that winner is…

Donna Stressel-Occupational Therapist- Schenectady, NY

Our congratulations go to Donna Stressel, an occupational therapist at the Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in Schenectady, NY. Donna has been an OT for 23 years and has been employed at Sunnyview for 18 years. She is one of two full-time OTs focused exclusively on driver rehab. Her clients and the conditions she treats are quite varied. She works with licensed drivers undergoing rehabilitation attempting to return to normal life after a stroke, brain injury, spinal cord trauma and other conditions. She also assists first time drivers with conditions such as spina bifida and other disabilities who may require special equipment in order to operate a motor vehicle and do so safely. Donna also works with seniors and assesses ability and makes recommendations that consider age, reflexes and cognitive response. Donna is married and has a 5-year old daughter.

Once again, we congratulate Donna Stressel and we thank all of those who visited us and entered our drawing. We will be back next year to spread the word once again about the benefits and unique opportunities associated with becoming a traveling occupational therapist.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

There are elderly residents of all ages and different levels of health living independently in retirement communities across the country.  In fact, traveling rehab therapists looking for assignment ideas serving this patient demographic, should consider Florida, Arizona, Texas and California among other popular senior destinations. Residents in these communities often have more physical and occupational therapy needs than they or their loved ones may realize. Just because they are living independently for now, does not mean that a wobble, slip, fall or minor mishap couldn’t change everything.

Travel physical therapists, travel occupational therapists and other therapists can make a profound difference in the lives of senior and allow them to maintain their independent quality of life through community education. Physical therapy agencies frequently offer their educational services to retirement communities. Therapists can do a world of good simply by educating seniors about how to prevent falls, household safety tips, how to manage their health, how to maintain their core and leg strength and keeping tabs on their vision.

Fall prevention is a biggie for seniors. I saw this as a nursing home nurse and later as an orthopedic nurse. I used to watch my nursing home residents being taken away to nursing homes with hip fractures with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Approximately 25% of individuals with hip fractures die within one year and another 25% lose their independence when they are admitted to a nursing home for permanent care. Physical therapists can be particularly educational for female residents of retirement communities, as women have a higher frequency of hip fractures and complications due to osteoporosis and a longer life span. Traveling physical therapists have the opportunity to educate elderly patients about these topics in many communities around the country on a regular basis.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

A friend of mine was proudly telling me about her daughter’s beautiful penmanship today. It took me a few seconds to realize that she meant handwriting. Was she referring to the same carefully drawn cursive letters that we all learned in grammar school? I will admit that my ability to pen an old-fashioned, handwritten letter has gone the way of my algebra and geometry skills over the years. I don’t feel too bad about that since ergonomic computer keyboards, cell phone texting, and other handheld ways of communicating seem to have replaced the lost art of handwriting.

Fortunately, occupational therapists and traveling occupational therapists are continuing to teach children this important life skill. Occupational therapy is especially valuable for children who are having trouble learning proper handwriting through their traditional childhood education. Occupational therapists can pick up where teachers leave off, using a variety of creative, sensory, gross and fine motor brain activities to retrain the child’s brain.

Handwriting ability derives from the speech center in the parietal lobe of the brain (mostly the left side). This means that for individuals who have suffered a stroke or other brain injury affecting speech, the ability to write also suffers. In fact, many occupational therapists and other caregivers are able to detect deteriorating mental functions based on changes in an individual’s handwriting.

As much as I joke about handwriting being a “lost art” I am well aware that it is a significant form of communication and a telling reflection of the mental and psychological happenings within the brain. Occupational therapists and traveling occupational therapists are lucky to have the opportunity to work with children who need a little help opening this window into their mind.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.