In healthcare, medical necessity determines what insurance will pay for. In real life, need determines whether someone can function, feel safe, and live with dignity. These two ideas are often treated as interchangeable but they are not the same. And the gap between them is where many families struggle. Let’s talk about this.

Physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) often work side by side, but they serve different purposes. PT focuses on strength, range of motion, balance, and endurance. OT focuses on how those physical skills translate into daily life. You can regain strength and mobility in PT and still struggle with everyday tasks like showering, cooking, working, or moving safely through your home.

Many families delay care because they believe they’re making a responsible choice. They wait for insurance approvals, hope symptoms will resolve on their own, or assume certain challenges are just part of aging, recovery, or a busy season of life. At first, waiting can feel safer and more cost-effective. Over time, however, families often discover that waiting carries hidden costs that aren’t immediately obvious.

Entryways become congested with boots and coats, floors stay wet longer, lighting is used more frequently, and transitions in and out of the home become more demanding. From a clinical perspective, these seasonal changes place higher demands on balance, strength, and attention, making winter the most honest time to assess how well a home supports daily function.

The holidays can feel like someone pressed the “extra” button on life, whether it’s plans or more pressure. But wellness doesn’t have to mean adding more to your plate. Sometimes the most powerful routines aren’t the one that slip quietly into the day without costing a dime.

When I was younger and the holidays came around, there wasn't a space in my heart that saw how heavy these seasons can be. The older I get, the more I learned that the holidays aren’t just about celebration. They’re about memory. They are beautiful and heavy all at once.

When people think about recovery, instantly, they often think about finally getting the green light from a surgeon, walking again, or even being able to go home. But the truth? They are highlight moments. The real work and the real healing happens in the quiet spaces no one prepares you for. And that’s the most overlooked part of recovery: the transition.

For months, I’ve been creating something unlike anything else, a fully ADA-accessible, customizable, human-centered system that blends occupational therapy, wellness, and healing into one cohesive experience. Resilient is something that fills the space where clients or families feel lost, that uncomfortable gap between hospital and home, between new diagnoses and daily routines, between “we don’t know what to do.” Resilient exists to bridge the gap. It is fully ADA accessible. Fully customizable. And fully designed to support healing in all the places where traditional care leaves people on their own.

Instead of resolutions that feel like homework, these questions help you pause and choose what you want next year to actually feel like. Curl yourself up in a blanket, your favorite candle, some coffee or tea, and answer these slowly. This is your check-in with yourself.

Caring for someone and spending time with someone are some of the most meaningful things you can ever do. But let’s be real, sometimes it can feel like you’re trying to pour from a teacup that keeps tipping over. I always remind caregivers…your own wellness matters just as much as theirs. You cannot fully care for someone if your cup isn’t full.

There is never a moment in therapy that I will never get tired of…the real first smile. Or the first time a client laughs again, really laughs; after carrying fear, pain, grief, or frustration for so long that joy feels foreign.

Here’s the truth, a fall isn’t always just an accident, it’s a message to you. Your body is trying to tell you something. Ignoring this message is the #1 mistake people make after a fall. To be honest, brushing it off and pretending like you are fine actually can increase your risk of falling again. Often if you fall again, it can lead to something more serious (hospitalization or long-term loss of independence).

In the first few weeks and months after a stroke, the brain is in what therapists often call a “hyperplastic” state, meaning it’s working overtime to repair and rewire. This is the stage where progress can feel fast and visible. Whether it’s improving strength, cognition, or speech.

Used properly, walkers can be life changing. However, a walker that’s too high, low, or the wrong type can actually increase fall risk. As an OT, we can help make sure the walker is adjusted correctly and fits your needs within your own environment.

In healthcare, it’s easy to get caught up in the checkboxes (yes I am guilty!). Medical charts, insurance requirements, protocols, productivity. But the truth is, healing and progress don’t start with paperwork. It starts with people. I want to share with you the number one question I ask every client, especially when it’s my first time meeting them.