A Reflection of the Short Story "Man from the South"
In the short story, "Man from the South," an old South American man bet an American navel cadet that if the cadet could light his lighter 10 times in a row he could have his brand new Cadillac, but if he lost the old man could cut off his pinky finger. Luckily, the old man's wife stopped them before the bet could be completed. However, the cadet noticed she only had one finger and thumb left on one of her hands.
If the cadet had lost the bet, many of his daily occupations would be impacted by just the loss of one pinky on his left hand. The pinky finger provides a lot of our hand strength and without it we lose the strength to do simple things like opposition (grip between the thumb and pinky) and grasping (grip between all of the fingers). As the navel cadet was training to be a sailor as well as a soldier he would not be able to perform many of his previous duties. His hand dexterity and strength would impair his ability to tie knots, operate machinery, and perform maintenance within his job. He would also struggle with certain activities of daily living (ADLs) such as grasping a fork to eat, clothes to dress, and toilet paper to wipe while using the bathroom. The cadet could use an ADL universal cuff utensil holder as his grip and dexterity is limited. This equipment would address occupational adaptation within the OTPF as it adapts the occupation of eating for the cadet.
 |
| ADL Universal Cuff Utensil Holder The old man's wife occupational performance would be impacted greatly as she lost more than one finger on one hand. Her daily morning routine would be impacted as she more than likely has to have someone assist her in bathing, dressing, and applying makeup. The wife mentions in the story that the reason she was not watching her husband is because she left to have her hair washed. The wife would benefit from the use of a shampoo brush that she could put around her hand to wash her hair. This modification would help her achieve greater independence as she could bathe without assistance. |
