Neuro Note 2

Simple hacks for life with Parkinson's - Mileha Soneji at TEDxDelft

During this TED talk, Mileha Soneji shares her personal story of her experience with Parkinson's disease. Her uncle was diagnosed with this disease, and he quickly went from fully functioning independently to not being able to complete simple daily activities on his own. This motivated her to try and find ways to make things simpler for those with Parkinson's disease. She designed a special cup that counteracted tremors, as her uncle expressed his embarrassment of trying to drink from a cup while out in public. Another way she found to boost her uncle's confidence was making his floor look like steps on a staircase. Because of the continuous motion staircases require, those with Parkinson's find it easier to move down the stairs. She showed a quick video during her talk (which was amazing) of her uncle who could barely get around on flat land moving down the stairs with ease. What she did to modify her uncle's home was to make pathways in his house that looked like stair steps. This illusion made her uncle more confident to move around his house, and he then found it easier and quicker to get around. 

I felt as though this TED talk really targeted what we do in the field of occupational therapy. Finding new ways to adapt despite what barriers life may provide is what OT is all about, and I was incredibly inspired and excited by the developments Mileha Soneji has been working on. Not only are her ideas useful for those with Parkinson's, but they can be useful for those with a variety of diagnoses. Focusing on what abilities people have rather than do not have is imperative, and I am glad to see that the world is moving towards this mindset. One thing I really enjoyed about her talk was her statement on the importance of making simple solutions focused on the person themselves through empathy and curiosity. If everyone boiled down problems into simple solutions, imagine what we all could do! This TED talk made me excited for the future, as more people start looking at health conditions from a humanistic point of view. 

Here is the link to this TED talk if you want to watch it (you should because it is FANTASTIC)!

https://www.ted.com/talks/mileha_soneji_simple_hacks_for_life_with_parkinson_s/up-next#t-398360