001 TFCC: Empowering Daily Routines: The Power of Alarms
Imagine feeling constantly overwhelmed, struggling to remember appointments, or finding it difficult to get started on tasks. For individuals facing cognitive challenges, these everyday frustrations can significantly impact their quality of life. As an Occupational therapist with a special interest in functional cognition, I've witnessed first hand how a simple yet powerful tool – alarms – can transform daily routines and empower individuals to take control.
Beyond just reminders, alarms offer so many benefits:
Reduces anxiety: By providing a sense of structure and predictability, alarms can significantly reduce anxiety and stress.
Enhanced independence: Alarms empower individuals to initiate and complete tasks independently, fostering a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.
Improved social interactions: Timely arrivals for appointments and social engagements can lead to stronger relationships and a more fulfilling social life.
Setting alarms at the right time is essential.
Alarms are great, but you must be able to use them for good. The importance of alarms is understanding the functional cognitive barriers to ensure you choose the most appropriate alarm for the person. A common problem is people setting an alarm associated with the time the appointment is, rather than the time action is needed. An example of how I have set up alarms for people with cognitive barriers include:
An alarm to check their schedule for the day
An alarm to get ready for an appointment for the day - with outfit choices
An alarm for the time to leave the home for the appointment
There can be a problem that arises when people start to have desensitisation with the alarm. This presents as people dismissing alarms and not completing the associated action.
This is where Voice prompting alarms can be extremely helpful.
A voice prompting alarm offers someone’s voice to be recorded to provide the verbal instruction of what’s needed to happen. This can be the person, the Therapist or someone they really listen to. This will enable them to associate the reminder and allows them to initiate the action. This can be a gamechanger.
To help you get started, I've created an instructional video that demonstrates how to set up voice alarms. You can watch it through this link.
By strategically using alarms, you can support clients to:
Increase their sense of control over their daily life.
Improve their overall well-being.
Foster a more independent and fulfilling lifestyle.
Don’t dismiss something that is the norm and basic, as a great cognitive intervention as an Occupational Therapist.
