Well it is that time of year again. College basketball is quickly approaching the March Madness NCAA basketball tournaments. There are very few places to go that will not have something to do with all the lead up and spectacle of the tournaments.
Conference tournament as a prequel
Now is the time of all the conference tournaments setting up the stage for seeding the full tournaments. This can truely be felt here in the Charlotte area. As the Atlantic Coast Conference gets into full swing in Charlotte.
Where does your allegiance stand?
Living in North Carolina, college basketball is life. You need to make a choice. Are you a Blue devil? A Tarheel? Wolf pack? Or even a Demon Deacon?
Even those that barely care will at least have some kind of preference. It makes all the difference this time of year.
A fun time by all
Is funny how you can walk through the nursing home and be surprised how many TVs you hear with one of the games on. Just remember that there is a higher percentage of women than men in a Nursing home! And it is more often than not, the women that seem to get into it.
I have even had to utilize in room treatment because they did not want to leave the TV! But I have learned over the years to just go with the flow of the day and pick your battles. Bringing equipment and treatment in the room is not the worst thing in the world. The only rule is we have to do what we would be doing in the therapy room. No lazy days allowed.
Facilitate even more excitement
Take advantage of the situation and try to incorporate some basketball related activities to your treatments thus time of year. What a great opportunity to utilize some group treatments that have a basketball theme. This is easily used by all disciplines. All you need is a little imagination. Physical therapy can do some balance groups by standing and “shooting hoops”. All it takes is a laundry basket and a ball and you are good to go.
Occupational therapy can utilize hand dexterity, fine motor control, and range of motion by doing crafts of making decorations for their favorite team.
Speech therapy can utilize functional reasoning and thinking skills by filling out and tracking an NCAA bracket.
Embrace the Madness
So embrace the madness and enjoy all the built in fun. Utilize the opportunity to easily make therapy more fun. Enjoy the time period and take full advantage. You will not regret it, and neither will your residents.
