Adaptations

“It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives.  It’s the one that is most adaptable to change.” -Charles Darwin

One underlining principle in occupational therapy is how adaptations allow people to gain or even “re-gain” ability whereas without them, they would be less efficient in doing so.  Increased ability leads to a surge in sense-of-purpose and sense-of-pride.  Simply put, my motto is, “Adapt-To-Ability©.”

A simple everyday example of making an adaptation is taking an ordinary scarf and using it as gift wrapping.  This particular adaptation is known as, Japanese Furoshiki, which allows one to take remnants of fabric, or other material such as a shawl and turn it into a beautiful and decorative covering.

But, what are adaptations in the real-world when applied to activities of daily living and how do I make them?  An adaptation is a change to an activity that makes it more suited to my needs, more convenient, and makes life easier.

For example, I take neoprene luggage wraps that help to pad the handles of suitcases, and I instead place them on the loop of my dog’s leash which then gives my hands more comfort for long walks in the park with my retrievers.

So, instead of only walking my dogs for short distances due to hand pain from arthritis, I can now walk with them in comfort, until they’re tired–and, that’s mileage well gained! As the cliche goes, “a tired dog is a good dog.”

Neoprene luggage wraps not only protect my finger and wrist joints while walking my dogs, but also prevent a tired hand, so I have more quality time and enjoyment with my beautiful hounds.

So, the pearl of wisdom to take away is, “Adapt-To-Ability©!”

To learn more about I make adaptation in my life that give me more ease, comfort, and practicality, please look for my upcoming blog posts tagged with the key word, “Adaptations.”