Jennifer Shields
OTR/L, Senior Program Manager
"Seeing a patient's face light up over equipment that finally fits right, that's a good day."
Jennifer has been a practicing OT for 12 years.
A moment that reminded her why she does this work
Jennifer had a resident who was notably uncomfortable throughout the day. Jennifer was able to get her custom seating equipment that made her smile so big the day it arrived. "She's now more comfortable throughout the day and able to feed herself again without caregivers assisting."
A win from this year
Jennifer recommended adaptive shower equipment to improve a resident's ability to get in and out of the shower independently, after the resident had been relying on caregivers for months to transfer her.
What people outside the field don't understand
"Most friends, family, and acquaintances don't understand the creativity and problem-solving aspect of being an OT. Something as small as lowering a bed frame for a patient to get in and out of bed can make all the difference in someone's day to day."
What Jennifer would want for her own family
"I'd want them to feel the continuum of care. I'd want the communication between all disciplines to be seamless so they could know they're being monitored and cared for thoroughly."