The Importance of the Small Finger
In the short story about the Man from the South, a soldier was potentially going to lose his pinky finger, or small finger, and another man's wife had only a thumb and another finger on one hand. Throughout this blog post, I will discuss the importance of the small finger, as well as the impact that amputations can have on daily functions and activities.
In the case of the soldier, had he lost his small finger a lot of daily occupations might be impacted; for example, making a fist, shooting a gun, driving a car, or opening a door just to name a few. The small finger is vital for optimal grip strength, therefore losing that finger would cause him to lose a good amount of his grip strength, therefore hindering daily functions that require power grasps. While the soldier is working to strengthen the other fingers, he could modify his activities by using a gripping aide to ensure a firm grip on the objects. This modification would address occupational performance and role competence outcomes form the OTPF-4 because he is safely engaging in his chosen occupations while meeting the demands of those occupations. I also think that it is important to note that the soldier will need to work on desensitization of the nerve endings, along with possible wearing things such as splints or gel sleeves.
In terms of the man's wife, there are not many of her daily occupations that have not been impacted over the years. If I were to focus on one daily occupation that has been impacted, I would say something as simple as turning a door knob. In order to still be able to complete this task, I would recommend switching all traditional door knobs to lever handles instead so that she is able to open the doors.
Hi Haleigh! I like how you mentioned desensitizing the nerve endings of the 5th digit. I love the idea of switching the door handles to levers! This would also help her open doors more fast in the case that her husband gets away again and wanders off. Great job on your blog post!
ReplyDeleteHello Haleigh! You had great insights to the occupations that may be impacted. I, too, thought about his role of being a soldier and how the loss of his little finger would impact his occupations within that role. Therefore, the outcome utilized in the OTPF would be occupational performance and role competence. I think your idea of a modification with the door knobs was a great idea that can really have an effect on her day-to-day.
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