"It's better to get involved when you're not sick than to wait until you're sick."

Janice Estes is a home care assistant for home care agency in North Arkansas. She’s been part of their team for 5 years. Janice has battled her weight and multiple health conditions throughout adulthood. Motivated to make a change, Janice joined the TRS Wellness program that her employer provides to their employees in May of 2017. Her goal in joining the program was to gain encouragement and increase her awareness and skills for weight management.

Janice is an active participant in the program. She recently completed her semi-annual biometric screenings and she meets regularly with Jasmin, her Wellness Coach. Since October of 2017, she has lost about 20 pounds by being more active and focusing on eating more fruit and veggies.

The world of occupational therapy provides a vast, eclectic practice arena where an individual can easily find their niche in a very specific field.  Often these niches spawn from personal endeavors, beliefs, or life events which often have had a direct and profound effect on the practitioner.  Occupational therapists are constantly developing new practice methods, refining expertise, and seeking new arenas for which we can better serve our patients. 

My husband James and I started running a few years ago with an app called C25K.  It seems like every time we decided to start this challenge; it was beginning to be summer in Arkansas.  You know you can’t beat the heat in Arkansas, but we tried many times.  We would try running at night after the sun had set (less heat) and early in the morning before the sun rose (less heat).  No matter when we ran, this was not an easy challenge.  Starting an 8-week running program several times over the course of a couple of years was not working.

We’ve all been there: Stuck in the February rut waiting for Daylight Saving Time and warmer weather. But we’ve made it to March, and now is the time to make your springtime outdoor bucket list! One of the many outdoor assets we have in Arkansas are the maintained outdoor parks and trails. Whether it’s the paved, gentle River Trail in Little Rock or the more rugged Sylamore Creek Trail near Blanchard Springs Caverns, Arkansas is teaming with opportunities for outdoor activity and exercise.

Careless mistakes. We all make them from time to time, some at home, on the road, or in some cases while on the job. These mistakes can also vary in severity, some minor while others can be exceedingly costly. Quite often we have found that the careless mistake is a task the worker has been properly trained to do, and has demonstrated countless hours of flawless execution- yet the mistake happens. How?!