Nicole Marie Raczkowski

Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant

 
Q. Where did you earn your degree?

A. Owens Community College

Q. Why did you become a therapist? 

A. I always had a passion for helping others, and as a therapist I wanted to help patients overcome deficits and disability through the recovery process.  I love to motivate and inspire people.
 
Q. How long have you been working in the therapy industry? 

A.5 years

Q. How long have you been working with ProHealth?

A. 2 years

Q. What exercises patients enjoy the most or find most helpful?

A. Completing daily activities that have meaning and purpose to each individual patient, such as kitchen tasks with reaching for items to working on balance.  The ball / balloon / bean bag toss is also fun for most patients to challenge their balance.

Q. Do you have any therapy tips? 

A. Colleagues need to think outside the box, be creative and inventive to grade the activity for the patients so they always feel successful in their recovery.  The patients work hard every day to strive to reach your goals.  If it's a bad day, do your best to let know how much they tried.
 
Q. How about a safety tip?

A. Keep your walker / cane with you at all times, wear shoes with tread on them to prevent falls, push from the chair while getting up to stand and then reach back for the chair when moving to sit down.  Plan all activities ahead of time to save from over exertion and take breaks as needed.  Never reach more than 10 inches for an item in the home.