The Gait Cycle Newsletter of the Student Special Interest Group of PTAG

Transcription

1 Volume 4, Issue 3 May 12, 2011 The Gait Cycle Newsletter of the Student Special Interest Group of PTAG Upcoming Dates June 8-9: 2011 Capitol Hill Day, Washington, DC and National Harbor, MD June 8-11: APTA Annual Conference, National Harbor, MD June 20-23: World Confederation for Physical Therapy Congress, Amsterdam, Netherlands Oct 1-31: National Physical Therapy Month Oct 21-23: National Student Conclave, Minneapolis, MN President s Corner Oct 24-Nov 1: AAOMPT Annual Conference, Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, CA Oct 29: PTAG Fall Conference, North Georgia College & University, Dahlonega, GA Inside this issue: A Message from our SSIG President Brand New PTA Program Developing the Future of Physical Therapy Essay Contest Winners CSM New Orleans! PTA Student Comments What to Do If PTAG and SSIG Spring Meeting Highlights Taking Charge of Our Future Book Review My Stroke of Insight Turning Students Into Therapists Through Service Learning Legislative Update Dry Needling and Grass Roots Your SSIG Board of Directors President: Brandy Mann, GSU Vice President: Kirsten Davidson, Emory Secretary: Dana Tyler, GSU Treasurer: Will Duncan, Mercer Fundraising: Stephen Clark, AASU Newsletter Editor: Karen Guilkey, Emory Brandy Mann, SSIG President Hello! It was so good to see everyone s smiling faces at the Spring PTAG meeting. It is very encouraging to see everyone s concern and enthusiasm as we come together to further our future profession. Some interesting topics were discussed at the student meeting, including a regional student conclave. This will be where the board is focusing its efforts in this coming year. A lot needs to be done and if you would like to help out, offer advice, or point out our errors, please do not hesitate to contact us! I would also like to welcome our new board members. I am very excited to work with such a committed and passionate group. Also, a big thank you to our departing board members, they have shown great leadership in the last couple of years and the changes they have made will continue to benefit future Georgia students for years to come. Again, thanks to everyone for their continued participation and commitment to our profession! Brandy Mann is a second year physical therapy student at Georgia State University. Brand New PTA Program in South Atlanta! Rose Burgett Atlanta will soon be home to a brand new Physical Therapy Assistant Program! Atlanta Technical College will host its first cohort of PTA students this fall, with Queenston Thorpe PT, MS, MCSP, Program Chair, at the helm! The south side of Atlanta has long been in need of a PTA program, and we are very excited about welcoming this new program into our APTA family! Please look for more news, and help support this budding program! Rose Burgett is a first year physical therapy student at Mercer University. Developing the Future of Physical Therapy A Student and New Professional Leadership Seminar Amy Arundale Developing the Future of PT is a brand new course designed specifically for students and new professionals. The course will be an interactive view of what it s like to be involved in the APTA and a chance for you to help contribute to its future! From small group discussions and networking opportunities, to panel discussions and ways to get involved, this session will continued on page 3

2 Page 2 The Gait Cycle Georgia PT/PTA Students Rock CSM New Orleans! Students Offer Their Experiences and Comments Leading the way: Georgia students represented over 200 of the 2400 students at CSM! Rose Burgett Record numbers of Georgia Students descended on New Orleans for the Combined Sections Meeting in February of 2011! With nearly 10,000 attendees, approximately 2400 were students, and over 200 were students from Georgia PT and PTA programs! Not only were students nearly one-quarter of all participants, but Georgia students represented onetenth of students from across the nation! This is truly phenomenal, and our SSIGs hats are off to all of you! Please enjoy the following comments from some students regarding their experience at CSM! This year s trip to CSM was very beneficial to me personally and professionally. It was a continued on page 6 Essay Contest Winners! Congratulations to Sandy Alexander, Georgia State University and Karen Guilkey, Emory University, for their winning essays! Karen Guilkey and Sandy Alexander Guest Series voucher for attendance to a National APTA event. Their essays are reprinted in this issue! Please see page 9 to see what they had to say! What to Do If You Suspect Violence Or Abuse Part 2 - Elder Abuse Jennifer McGuffey.1 in 5 cases of elder abuse are never brought to the attention of authorities. -Jennifer McGuffey The PTAG SSIG sponsored an essay writing contest exploring the importance of APTA and student involvement. Each of our winners has received a Think for a second of a septuagenarian you know and love, maybe a relative? A mentor? A neighbor? A friend? Now consider the grim thought of that person being neglected or abused. Awful, right? Unfortunately for many older adults, abuse is more than just a mental example; it s a daily reality. Elder abuse is a real problem that is often overlooked or ignored. As future healthcare professionals, we have to open our eyes and minds to this issue so that we can be prepared to make the right decisions regarding elder abuse. Elder abuse exists in many forms: physical, mental, emotional, and financial, as well as the more passive types: abandonment and neglect. Physical abuse is any use of force or violence to threaten or injure an older adult. Mental and emotional abuse can be subtler, involving verbal threats, insults or any other acts that are meant to cause psychological detriment. Older adults may also be victims of exploitation, experiencing theft or fraud. Finally, older adults are often subject to neglect or abandonment. This kind of abuse is possibly the most insidious type of abuse. Older adults in need of special support may not be receiving even the minimum care you would consider humane. In cases of neglect or abandonment, as well as in other forms of abuse, older adults may not be able to, or may not be willing to address mistreatment themselves. Statistics on elder abuse are elusive due to underreporting and a lack of uniform definitions. However, the best continued on page 6

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