11 August 2015 - In observance of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, the Philippine Consulate General organized a two-hour lecture-demonstration on Basic Strategies for Carers on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation in Children and Older Adults on July 26. More than 50 overseas Filipino workers, mostly household service workers participated in the mini-workshop held at the Consulate General’s Conference Room.

Mr. Ivan Neil B. Gomez, a licensed Occupational Therapist from the Philippines who is currently pursuing his doctorate degree at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, served as the resource person. He shared his expertise to the participants by delivering not just an easy-to-understand and very engaging lecture-demonstration, but an enjoyable one as well. Mr. Gomez also gave the attendees handouts to serve as guide and reviewer. The participants likewise actively engaged the resource person by asking questions and gamely performing the exercises and strategies during the demonstration part.

Among the basic tips Mr. Gomez imparted on caring for people with special needs are as follows: (a) encourage the patient to communicate their needs and wants even through pictures or hand gestures; (b) allow them to perform activities of daily living like eating, dressing up, tidying their things (toys, books, etc.), among others; (c) keep their mind sharp by playing simple memory game or by asking them easy questions such as “time of the day,” “day in the week,” “current location,” etc.; (d) engaging them in conversation by encouraging them to recall the characters or a favorite scene from a soap opera; and (e) teaching them appropriate exercises depending on their needs i.e. hand exercises like squeezing stress ball and picking up small objects.

All participants were given certificates of attendance. END