Media Project - Sponge Hockey

Media Project + Kitchen Sponge = Sponge Hockey :-)

*Note: Joe is a fictional character therefore I will use his name in this blog post. I would not use the name of any real client due to privacy rights.

Here is just a brief snapshot of my client to help with background info.

Joe is a 22-year-old male who was recently diagnosed with transverse myelitis.

One of Joe’s main barriers right now is that he can not bear full weight on his legs. He is willing and eager to do anything needed in therapy to help regain strength of his legs. Joe is an avid sports fan and loves hockey. He also loves spending time with his family and his girlfriend of two years. The game I created for Joe using kitchen sponges called (Sponge Hockey) allows him to be involved in a modified activity that he loves as well as include members of his supportive family and girlfriend.

Short term goal for Joe:

Joe will play sponge hockey 3 times per week for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 20 minutes in one session for the next two weeks to build strength and range of motion in his legs in order to work toward lower body dressing. After two weeks I will reassess Joe’s improvement and readdress the goal.

While working on this project I was a little stumped at first. As with most things if I allow myself some time to ponder, an idea will either come to me in the shower or while I am running. After reading and rereading Joe’s case scenario, the following things really stood out to me:  1) Joe loves hockey, 2) values time with his family, and 3) is eager to work in therapy.

So of course, while I was out for a run the thought of using the sponges as pseudo ice-skates came to me. But then how will that work? At first, I thought about using duct tape to make like a stirrup for the foot on the sponge, but Joe needs a way to support and help his legs. That is where the ah-ha for using the string with the sponge came into play. After those two main ideas came to me, the other items needed to play the game kind of just gravitated towards me. Most people have aluminum foil, some kind of tape and paper grocery bags or if not, some old shoe boxes that would also work for goals.

Working on this project has helped to generate new ideas on how to use a kitchen sponge. I could see using the kitchen sponge with strings and feet placed inside to actually help clean the floor. Or one could cut the sponges and place them in between the toes for an inexpensive way to make “yoga toe stretchers” for the feet. Another idea is to use the sponges for painting either with the feet to dip into or the fingers or hands maybe even an elbow or just dabbing the sponge itself on the paper or canvas. The thing that I have discovered is that I actually do have the potential to invent purposeful and meaningful occupational therapy intervention tools and or adaptive devices. Small changes can make a big difference.

Moving forward, I feel as if I have now given myself permission to create and make new therapy tools. They do not always have to be something someone else has already made or done. Trial and error are part of the process and first prototypes can of course be built upon and made to better aid the individual. And it is always helpful to use the ideas, desires, wants, needs, and values of the client for inspiration in making the one-of-a- kind hand crafted therapeutic tool/adaptive device that in return might just be helpful to someone else too.