Podcast appearances and mentions of carol ann nelson

On today’s show we interview Carol-Ann Nelson, founder of Destination Rehab (501c3) in 2016 to address the isolation and lack of outdoor recreation for adults with neurologic conditions. Carol-Ann talks about the gap that she saw for patients after they finished rehab and found themselves rarely leaving their houses.  She was passionate about helping people experience the things they used to love in their lives that they’ve lost. She discusses the reasons she decided to create a nonprofit business, the programs, referrals, and funding.  She also explains how, even though they work outdoors, they haven’t had any trouble getting Medicare to cover therapy.  She is clear and transparent about both the positives and challenges of doing outdoor therapy. You can learn more about Carol-Ann and Destination Rehab at destinationrehab.org

Their website says that Destination Rehab takes an "innovative, out-of-the-box approach to physical therapy." This week, my guests are Sally McAllister and the founder of Destination Rehab, Dr. Carol-Ann Nelson. Sally is 70 years old and living with primary progressive MS. We're talking about how Sally's work with Dr. Nelson produced life-changing results. We're also talking about the first study that specifically measures the safety of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID vaccine for people living with MS. We'll share the results of another study that suggests that some MS disease-modifying therapies affect Black people differently. We'll tell you about this year's recipient of the Dystel Prize for MS research. And we'll give you the details about the MS Society of Canada's upcoming MS CONNECT virtual conference.  We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! Study provides evidence of how the COVID-19 vaccine affects people living with MS  1:35    Study shows that Black people may react differently to a popular MS disease-modifying therapy  4:29 Dystel Prize for MS research goes to Harvard professor    7:48 MS Society of Canada presents MS CONNECT virtual conference next week  9:08 Sally McAllister and Dr. Carol-Ann Nelson talk about how real-world rehab changed Sally's life  10:33 Share this episode  31:26 Have a minute? Leave a rating & review for the podcast  31:46 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email:  https://realtalkms.com/190 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.comPhone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com National MS Society COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for People Living with MS Destination Rehab STUDY: COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: What We Heave Learnt by February 2021 2021 MS CONNECT Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Give RealTalk MS a Rating and Review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 190 Guests: Sally McAllister and Dr. Carol-Ann Nelson Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, RealTalkMS Privacy Policy

The wild requires that we learn the terrain, nod to all the plants and animals and birds, ford the streams and cross the ridges, and tell a good story when we get back home.  -- Gary Snyder     A few weeks ago, we heard from Carol-Ann Nelson from Destination Rehab about the PT work she does in Bend, OR, helping folks with disabilities from around the world spend a week doing rehab and enjoying all the beauty that Central Oregon in the northwest United States has to offer. You can check out http://strokecast.com/destinationrehab to learn more about a Rehab Vacation or listen to that episode. After we finished, Carol-Ann told me about Geoff Babb, a fellow Bend, OR, resident who had his own project. Geoff Babb is a 2-time stroke survivor who loves the outdoors. After he got back to Bend following his work on Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, he had a brainstem stroke. After that first stroke, he discovered standard wheel chairs are not compatible with hiking trails. They're barely compatible with city sidewalks. So he decided to invent his own and thus, the AdvenChair project was born.     Timing Timing is one of the amazing things about the story. Geoff had been helping out in the New Orleans area in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was right after he got back to his home in Oregon that he had his stroke. Had it happened while he was still in New Orleans, his recovery would likely have been much more challenging, considering how strained the infrastructure was at the time. This actually raises another interesting point for discussion in the future. As folks survive uninjured from natural disasters like Katrina or Maria, they are still susceptible to the same medical challenges folks in the rest of the country face -- stroke, heart attack, car crashes, etc. How does the limited or over-stretched post-disaster infrastructure impact their recovery? And if someone dies from a stroke due to limited availability of care a week or month after a disaster do they get counted among the disaster's victims? This opens up all sorts of questions of equality, social justice, and simple fairness. The first AdvenChair failed early in a hike instead of later. The timing was also fortuitous, avoiding an expensive, time consuming, and risky rescue. And finally, Geoff's second stroke was 12 years to the day of his first one. It's amazing how those timing things all come together. Developing the AdvenChair Geoff has a lot more details on the process of designing this chair on his website, and I'd encourage you to check it out (and contribute if you can). There are a few things in particular that come up in the conversation. Geoff and his team ultimately had to start from scratch with the concept, rather than modifying an existing chair. I know very little about the history of wheel chairs, but it seems to me, they were first built as a chair that could then move, rather than as a method of transportation that could then allow a person with disabilities to be seated. Looking back at the historical wheelchairs we see on TV and period movies, they're almost dollies for moving a person, almost as though the person is a type of cargo. It seems they evolved from there. That sort of approach impacts your goals when you design something and also offers some insight into how designers viewed people with disabilities and the people who assist them at the time. I should reiterate that this is my analysis, not Geoff's. Geoff and his team started pulling together ideas that aren't based in the dining room chair metaphor. They looked first at vehicles already optimized for off road use -- skis for wheelchair users and mountain bikes for ableds. Then they grew the plan from there. Instead of focusing on pushing the chair, the looked at Pulk Sleds used by arctic explorers and other folks to develop a method for pulling it. And they made sure it could be self-propelled and work in environments already friendly to traditional wheelchairs. Bio Geoff Babb’s first of two strokes abruptly pushed him into the world of disability. Today Geoff is the AdvenChairman of the Onward Project, which seeks to inspire, encourage, and enable people of all abilities to have active outdoor adventures. Geoff is active in the disabled and adaptive community in Central Oregon. He is currently on the board of Oregon Adaptive Sports and the Advisory Council of Stroke Awareness Oregon. Previously, he served on the board of Healing Reigns Therapeutic Riding Center and the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee. Through these experiences, Geoff has an in-depth understanding of the outdoor adventure opportunities available for people with mobility challenges, be it by horse, ski, or wheels. There are many possible ways for stroke survivors to be outdoors. Before his first stroke, he was an active outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed mountain biking, skiing, and hiking with his wife and twin sons, and he enjoyed a long career in wildland fire management. Geoff’s life has been an odyssey and three significant life events have emerged as important opportunities: Surviving his first brain-stem stroke in 2005. This changed his relationship to the world in general and the natural world in particular. No longer was he able to work, hike, bike, ski, and enjoy the outdoors as he had before. So, with help from friends and family, he developed a modified wheelchair that allowed him to go places where he could still have a meaningful connection with nature. In 2016, he and his team attempted to go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon when his wheelchair broke an axle. While they didn’t achieve their goal, this experience inspired an opportunity to design a better chair, one more durable for off-road travel. Twelve years to the day from the first stroke, in 2017 Geoff survived a second brain-stem stroke. This one helped him focus his energy to complete what is now the AdvenChair. Because of these opportunities, Geoff’s dream is to help people experience the outdoors and wild places using the AdvenChair, rolling boldly where no chair has gone before. Hack of the Week Geoff recommends a cellphone that works with a stylus. Phones optimized for this technology have options that go beyond just using a generic stylus. They include special software and native support for digital ink. The Samsung Galaxy Note product line is one fantastic option. I use an LG Stylo 4, which is less expensive but slower and older. The advantage of a stylus is that you can get more precise control when writing emails and messages. You can also send messages in handwriting or draw pictures and do lots of cool things. If you have the strength to hold the phone with one hand while tapping with another this is great. Now as I think about it, if I was left handed, I might use my stylus more. My current phone challenge is that I have to use it entirely in my right hand, and I have trouble reaching the left side of the screen with my thumb, resulting in more typos. My left hand isn't strong enough to hold my phone yet, but it might be strong enough to hold a stylus. So I guess one of my next projects ought to be figuring out if I can teach myself to write or tap on a phone screen with my affected hand. It's my non-dominant hand so this would have been tough before the stroke, but now I get to deal with proprioception challenges, tone, spasticity, and weakness. Sounds like a good therapy goal to me. Thanks for the idea, Geoff! Links   AdvenChair Website https://www.advenchair.com/ AdvenChair on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/advenchair/ AdvenChair on Twitter https://twitter.com/TheAdvenchair Oregon Adaptive Sports http://oregonadaptivesports.org/ Destination Rehab https://www.destinationrehab.org/ Carol-Ann Nelson on Strokecast http://Strokecast.com/DestinationRehab Pulk Sled on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulk   Where do we go from here? Check out Geoff's story in more detail and learn more about Advenchair 2.0 at the links above. Subscribe to Strokecast for free in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Don't get best…get better.   Strokecast is the stroke podcast where a Gen X stroke survivor explores rehab, recovery, the frontiers of neuroscience and one-handed banana peeling by helping stroke survivors, caregivers, medical providers and stroke industry affiliates connect and share their stories.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have some of the most amazing scenery and outdoor options in the country. So why do all your rehab in a clinic? Today's guest is Physical Therapist, Dr. Carol-Ann Nelson, the Founder and Executive Director of Destination Rehab in Bend Oregon. For those not familiar with the geography here, Bend is in the middle of Oregon, about a 6-hour drive South East of Seattle. It's surrounded by mountains, volcanoes, forests, a river and wildlife. It's an absolutely gorgeous city and region that I'd encourage anyone to visit. Destination Rehab combine PT with outdoor activities, taking advantage of all Central Oregon has to offer. They have year round program for folks in the area, and they offer week long Rehab Vacations for folks with neuro conditions who want to travel to the area. Participants include stroke survivors plus folks with MS, Parkinson's, TBI, Spinal Cord Injury, and other conditions. Bio Carol-Ann's love for the outdoors began during her years growing up in Oregon. She has enjoyed backpacking, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, hiking and running in mountains and rivers across the country. While in graduate school, she realized her passion to utilize physical therapy to help people with disabilities and chronic conditions engage in the outdoors and in their local community. In 2016 she founded Destination Rehab, a nonprofit organization that takes physical therapy principles out of the clinic walls and into the outdoors. Their focus is to build confidence, independence and improve quality of life for individuals with physical disabilities and chronic conditions.  Carol-Ann received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Duke University and practiced in the Neuro Recovery Center at Brooks Rehabilitation before returning to her home state of Oregon in 2015. She specializes in treating patients with a variety of complex neurologic conditions including Stroke, Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis. Carol-Ann serves as Vice President of the Oregon Physical Therapy Association, and is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association's Neurologic Section. Carol-Ann and her husband have four year old twins, a six month old baby girl, and an energetic border collie. Carol-Ann is passionate about helping others dream big and gain the confidence they need to enjoy being active and outdoors. Hack of the Week Make your lamps into touch lamps. It can be tough to fiddle with switches and knobs with limited mobility. Fortunately, you can get an adapter to make them touch lamps. Here's an example: https://www.amazon.com/Westek-3-Level-Touch-Plug-Dimmer/dp/B01APRDK5O/ Now you can even use your affected hand to turn the lights on and off. Put that limb to work! Links Destination Rehab http://destinationrehab.org Rehab Vacation http://destinationrehab.org/rehab-vacation Destination Rehab on Facebook http://facebook.com/destinationrehab Destination Rehab on Instagram http://instagram.com/destinationrehab Destination Rehab on Twitter https://twitter.com/realworldrehab Touch Sensor For Lamps https://www.amazon.com/Westek-3-Level-Touch-Plug-Dimmer/dp/B01APRDK5O/ Where do we go from here? If you'd like to learn more about taking a rehab vacation, check out the Destination Rehab links above. Help someone you know subscribe to Strokecast on their phone so they never miss an episode. Don't get best…get better.   Strokecast is the stroke podcast where a Gen X stroke survivor explores rehab, recovery, the frontiers of neuroscience and one-handed banana peeling by helping stroke survivors, caregivers, medical providers and stroke industry affiliates connect and share their stories.

  Some months back, on my other show, 2-Minute Talk Tips, I interviewed speaker and coach Pat Roque about speaking and her fascinating journey. I'd encourage you to check that out over at 2minutetalktips.com/rockon. After that conversation, Pat and I continued talking and she told me I needed to talk with Gianna Rojas about the work we were each doing. Gianna Rojas is the One Handed Lady Golfer. Gianna was born with no fingers on her left hand, which makes golf challenging. Still, as an adult, she wanted to learn so she did. Now, Gianna runs AdaptiveGolfers.org where she and her team help stroke survivors and other folks with disabilities get back on the course, doing the thing they love -- playing golf. Gianna runs clinics in NJ and travels the country promoting Adaptive Golf. Key Facts about Gianna   ADAPTIVE ATHLETE - *USA Disabled Golf Team - Global Tour *Division winner of the 2017/2018 Para Long Drive Cup – Legends, Myrtle Beach SC, Par Tee - Columbia, SC *Division winner of the 2018 Adaptive Long Drive – Barefoot Resort and Golf, No. Myrtle Beach SC   ADAPTIVE AMBASSADOR *2018/2019 LPGA Woman's Network - Charity Partner *2019 PGA Magazine Woman's Leadership Platform *20172018/2019 Director of Global Brand Awareness United States Adaptive Golf Alliance *Advisory Board and Speakers Bureau for the National Alliance of Accessible Golf *Volunteer for the United States Disable Golf Association   SPEAKER/PRESENTER/EXHIBITOR *2018/2019 PGA Merchandise Show - Initiator ADAPTIVE GOLF CENTER, Speaker, and Adaptive Player Development Educational Track *2017/2018 World Amateur Championships Exhibitor *2017/2018/2019 ABILITIES Expo Speaker, Presenter and Exhibitor PUBLIC FIGURE/SEASONED MEDIA PERSONALITIY *2018 LPGA Top 22 Women “Disruptors” in the Golf Industry https://lpgawomensnetwork.com/meet-the-disruptors-the-women-who-are-spearheading-a-revolution-in-golf/ Thoughts on Golf As I've mentioned before, I'm not exactly athletic. Most of my golf experience involves neon balls and tiny windmills. But it is a part of many survivors lives. A stroke doesn't have to mean our involvement with sports is over. A few months ago, I talked with US Air Force Academy Tennis Coach Dan Oosterhous about his life and he continues coaching tennis. You can find that episode at http://strokecast.com/dan. This week, we hear from Gianna. And next week in episode 058, We'll hear from Carol-Ann Nelson about Adventure Rehab Vacations. In short, there are lots of reasons and ways for stroke survivors to get out of the house and in to outdoor activities this Spring and Summer More than the athletic aspect of golf, though, is the strong social aspect of the game of golf. It's a sport that's built around chatting with your opponents. It also a sports that has strong cultural and business ties, at least in the US. Folks who don't golf can find themselves shut out of many business socializing and deal making opportunities. That's why getting back out on the course can be so important for a golf-loving stroke survivor. Or even for the survivor just looking for a new hobby. It's got physical, cognitive, social, cultural, and economic advantages. And the work Gianna is doing to get folks access to those advantages is fantastic. Hack of the Week Getting dressed with disabilities can take way too much time. Fortunately, Adaptive Clothing is a thing now. Most folks are already familiar with Velcro shoes. All the shoes I use theses days feature Velcro. You can even find sneakers with faux lace closures now that are powered by Velcro. It goes beyond that, though. A search for adaptive clothing will turn up a significant variety of clothes designed to accommodate a wide assortment of functionality. You don't have to settle for tradition clothing. Links Adaptive Golfers http://adaptivegolfers.org Gianna's email Gianna@AdaptiveGolfers.org Gianna on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gianna.s.rojas Gianna on Twitter https://twitter.com/Adaptivegolfers Gianna on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onehandedladygolfer/ One Handed Lady Golfer on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pg/onehandedladygolfer Gianna on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/giannarojas/ One Handed Lady Golfer on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwL4-46d8iDNaRTl_sYMA6g Quantum Grip http://www.quantumgrip.com/ PGA Superstore https://www.pgatoursuperstore.com/stores/paramus-new-jersey/0901.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw7MzkBRAGEiwAkOXexBgKEX3VeUV01z4IHHdIywqxKOeUrqZQhW3Rl1xrkikg8MVqtP4B_RoC0HkQAvD_BwE USGA http://www.usga.org/ The R & A https://www.randa.org/ PGA https://www.pga.com/home/ LPGA http://www.lpga.com/ Bill interviews Pat Roque http://2minutetalktips.com/rockon Bill Interviews Dan Oosterhous http://strokecast.com/dan USGA/R&A announce participation in world ranking for disabled golfers https://www.golfdigest.com/story/usgaranda-announced-participation-in-global-ranking-for-disabled-golfers   Where do we go from here? Encourage the PGA and LPGA to make Adaptive Golf part of their continuing education requirements. Check out Gianna's links and resources by visiting the section above. Share this episode with the golf fan in your life by giving them the link Strokecast.com/golf Don't get best…get better   Strokecast is the stroke podcast where a Gen X stroke survivor explores rehab, recovery, the frontiers of neuroscience and one-handed banana peeling by helping stroke survivors, caregivers, medical providers and stroke industry affiliates connect and share their stories.

It’s Monday again, and as always, we’re here with your physical therapy news. This week we’re talking PTJs special issue on opioids, the PT licensure compact, APTA’s House of Delegates, and state legislative updates. Finally, as April winds down and the deadline for the ProBono Incubator applications approach, we sit down with Carol Ann Nelson, founder of last year’s Pro Bono Incubator winner, Destination Rehab. Talus Media News is a subsidiary of Talus Media: PT Views & PT News. You can find all interviews mentioned in this newscast on our sister channel, Talus Media Talks. Check us out on Twitter & Facebook @TalusMedia, and head to our website at talusmedia.org for more information.

Ever wonder what it takes to get out in the community when you've had a stroke? Have MS? Carol Ann Nelson, physical therapist and executive director for Destination Rehab, a nonprofit located in Bend, OR, helps clients find their way in the community and gives them the confidence to venture out on their own.  What inspired you to start Destination Rehab? Describe Bend for me--it's an active community, what are your clients missing out on?  Favorite patient story?  What is your plan for the PBI grant money?  Talus Media Talks is a subsidiary of Talus Media: PT Views & PT News. You can find physical therapy news on our sister channel, Talus Media News. Check us out on Twitter & Facebook @TalusMedia, and head to our website at talusmedia.org for more information. This series is in collaboration with MoveTogether, a 501(c)3 nonprofit providing access to physical therapy services around the corner, and around the globe. You can find the Pro Bono Incubator application at movetogether.org