While back-to-school is on the minds of most of their peers, five Grand Valley State University occupational therapy students are focusing their attention on service. They have joined students from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University to provide therapeutic services to adults with Huntington's Disease (HD) at a five-day camp through August 27.
The project is the result of the Presidential Service Learning Scholars initiative created last year by GVSU President Arend D. Lubbers to encourage faculty members to pursue service learning opportunities with their students.
The Michigan Huntington's Disease Society sponsors the Circle of Friends Camp, held each summer at the Howell Wildlife Refuge. The camp's mission is to foster independence and education among adults at varying stages of HD, a degenerative brain disorder.
Due to financial constraints and insurance limits, adults who have Huntington's Disease are often under served in terms of their habilitation and quality of life needs, explains Barb Hooper, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy at GVSU. The camp exists to provide programming and support to help address their physical, emotional, and social needs as well as the loss of independence they experience in daily activities.
The students work on a team consisting of one member from the occupational therapy, nursing, physical therapy, and speech pathology disciplines. The team is responsible for five to six campers throughout the week and conducting therapeutic programming.
This is a great opportunity to use things you have learned in class, says Amy Wondolkowski, a second year occupational therapy student at GVSU. It is a very rewarding experience.
The GVSU occupational therapy students fill several roles at the camp. They assess each camper's abilities in daily self-care activities such as bathing, getting dressed, eating, playing, socializing, and participating in activities at home and in their communities.
The students aid campers in evaluating their daily routines at home by showing them how to make their home environments safe and more accessible. Often, they will introduce them to technology that can assist in daily activities.
At the end of the camp, the students collaborate with the campers to construct a banner that reflects what they learned and experienced at camp. The banners are then used at various events sponsored by the Michigan Huntington's Disease Society throughout the year.
