In Hamilton, Ohio, a University of Cincinnati occupational therapy student, Sophie Shockey, has made significant strides in stroke rehabilitation. Shockey, inspired by the obstacles faced by stroke survivors, created a rehabilitation wall for her capstone project at the NeuroFit Gym—a place renowned for serving those with neurological conditions. According to a University of Cincinnati article, this rehab wall was designed to blend physical and cognitive exercises, providing a comprehensive recovery tool.
Shockey’s motivation to specifically cater to stroke patients arose from a need to see them regain not just motor skills but also to confidently challenge their cognitive abilities. Her dedication to this cause led her to construct and endlessly refine her idea into a wall-mounted system, featuring sections for kitchen, game, art, and laundry tasks—all aimed at mirroring everyday activities. Shockey’s work, through its innovative blend of interaction and skill-building, intends to make rehabilitation less of a tedious process and more engaging, as she told the University of Cincinnati.
The sheer functionality of the rehab wall stands out, with each section targeting key recovery aspects. For instance, the game and art section is designed to engage cognitive, motor, and creative skills through a variety of activities like tapping light-up pods and matching patterns. Meanwhile, the kitchen section makes use of adaptive utensils and iPad-based questions to simulate real-world tasks, bolstering both cognitive and motor skills. Similarly, the laundry section introduces a playful aspect with Laundry Bingo, coupled with the replication of everyday chores to improve fine motor skills and functionality in daily tasks…