Continuing Professional Education
Fall 2009 Programs
10/21/09 (W)
Wii-Hab – Using the Nintendo Wii in a Therapeutic Setting
Instructor: Mershon W. Hinkel, MSPH, OTR/L,
Time: 9:00 am-4:30 pm
Location: Penn State Abington, Lares Building
Program Cost: $175, includes continental breakfast and lunch
Credit Pending:
RN: 6
NHA: 6 (Pending)
PT: 6 (Pending)
Program Description:
This one-day interactive course is designed to introduce the rehab professional to the Nintendo Wii and to activities available within Wii Sports and Wii Fit gaming programs. These rehab professionals include, but are not limited to: Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapist Assistants, Physical Therapists Assistants. Professionals seeking to incorporate Nintendo Wii activities into their practice will become familiar with equipment set-up, appropriate adaptations for various patient populations, safety considerations, ideas for therapeutic activity progression, and documentation to satisfy third party payers.
Objectives:
After attending “Wiihab - Using the Nintendo Wii in a Therapeutic Setting”, participants should be able to:
1. Explain the rationale, historical context, and therapeutic framework for using the Wii as one component in a plan of care
2. Identify how the games in Wii Sports and Wii Fit can be used as therapeutic activities (97530) and/or therapeutic exercises (97110) and/or Neuro-muscular re-education (97112) to achieve specific patient goals
3. Describe the component parts of Wii hardware and how to set the Wii up for use as a therapeutic tool
4. Demonstrate the strategies for maintaining patient safety and appropriately modifying Wii games to accommodate a geriatric patient population with varying abilities or disabilities
5. Design plans of care that incorporate activities and exercises available through the Nintendo Wii for various geriatric patients represented in selected case studies
6. Identify resources and methods for obtaining funding and reimbursement for Wii equipment and therapy involving the Wii
7. Formulate parallels between evidence-based therapeutic interventions and Wii-based activities
8. Demonstrate the ability to utilize therapeutic techniques including manual contacts, verbal cues and patient and caregiver education to maximize the benefits gained from incorporating activities included in Wii Sports and Wii Fit during treatment of the geriatric patient
9. Write examples of documentation explaining subjective, objective, and functional improvements gained through using virtual reality activities in ways that satisfy third party payers
Your Instructor
Mershon W. Hinkel, MSPH, OTR/L,
Mershon is the “Wii O.T.” She is a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia and Arcadia University, and has practiced occupational therapy for over 25 years. Mershon has a special interest in public health issues that can be addressed effectively through evidence-based clinical and therapeutic approaches. Her interest in using the Nintendo Wii as a therapeutic modality stems from experience treating both pediatric and geriatric populations. She teaches and writes about the use of Wii in therapy, and she blogs on this topic at Wiihab Therapy, accessible at http://wiihabtherapy.blogspot.com.
