Consuela Marshall, LOT, CAPS: OT in Aging & Caregiving
In this post, we will learn from Consuela Marshall, LOT, CAPS. Consuela is a Caregiver Coach and Aging-In-Place Consultant, and an Occupational Therapist with 27 years of experience providing care to individuals with disabilities and disorders or who have sustained injuries that negatively affect their level of independence with self-care, mobility, and ADL (Activities of Daily Living) tasks. She is a graduate of Louisiana State University Medical Center, and has worked on Skilled Nursing Units, Inpatient Rehab Units, and in the home health setting. Consuela is a Certified Fall Prevention Specialist, a Certified Aging In Place Specialist, and a former board member of the Louisiana Assisted Living Association.
Q & A with Consuela:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations.
I think I'm low-key, and always looking at the brighter side of life. I'm married. I love running, try to do 15-20 miles a week. I like gardening. I love being outdoors. I've only had one "real job" and it is that of an OT, but I feel like each position I've had as an OT has felt like something new and different, so being an OT has kept my work life very diverse and enjoyable. I was introduced to OT when my daughter was born with some physical limitations and required OT services.
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
Your invitation. And I am very honored. I have known of the podcast but never thought I "fit the mode" but yet always believed that I truly represented the essence of what OT is all about in my quiet part of this universe --working hard at teaching others how to live and thrive in their environment, being as functional and full of purpose as they can, while also making sure that undue demands were placed on anyone having to assist them.
Please describe the UncommonOT work that you do and the setting in which you work, the population you serve, and the needs that you address.
Finding A Foothold Caregiver Coaching and Consulting Services. Online services. "Teaching family caregivers strategies to help them learn to properly set up caregiving environments, assist with ADL tasks more efficiently and safely, and also ways of creating balance and building support systems in order to have time to stay connected to their own lives and needs. I started out with the Family Caregiver training only but am now about to launch into another aspect- Aging in Place, to address the needs of our senior/aging population who are at risk of falls and injuries in the home. * New* Senior/Aging Population Training: Group sessions, empowering seniors to age safely in their homes by addressing fall prevention, injury risks, and overall well-being. With the goal of reducing or preventing the premature need for a family caregiver to assist with care or the need for the senior/aging population to prematurely enter long-term care facilities.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
My heart has always been for the family caregiver because I know the sacrifice that is made and the tremendous workload that often comes with the role. I have always seen that not enough attention is given to the caregiver's needs -- but with more and more duties being placed on the caregiver with little or no training. I wanted to create a means of reaching the caregiver and providing services to address their needs.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
I entered the OT field going down the traditional route of employment. I worked in traditional settings -- in the inpatient rehab setting, on SNF units, and then just out of necessity to align my work life with my personal home life, I stumbled into home health and LOVED IT. Working in home health, I really got to see the true needs of the patient and the caregiver and the need to address their true concerns, not just textbook examples of what goals to address with patients in sterile, ADA setup settings, and setting up tasks to be performed in customary traditional ways while working on the Rehab Unit. I had entered their true worlds and learned began to learn how to adapt my thinking and OT sessions in a way that added safety and efficiency in their environment. And in this home setting, I truly got to know the caregivers and saw their physical struggles and challenges, and work with them closely. Then I had a rude awakening to an oversight that I had not given much consideration to -- the emotional challenges that come with the caregiving role and the impact it has on the caregiver's ability to do the physical aspects of caregiving. This awareness of the emotional strain that can develop between the caregiver and the one cared for was brought to light in my life by me suddenly becoming my mother's caregiver. She eventually moved in with me and it was quite an adjustment. I was physically prepared to help my mom but not emotionally prepared and began to over-extend myself and was always physically exhausted. I didn't know how to set boundaries with her. I was not good at asking for help and struggled to find time for my husband and my children. I now realize how important it was to also learn how to set boundaries in caregiving that allow caregivers to recognize their limitations and set in place a plan that would allow them to still have time to enjoy their own personal life and other relationships. And this changed how I began to view my role as an OT and added in the components that address both the patient and caregiver needs and limitations in my OT sessions. I used this approach for greater than 10 years, seeing a lot of success and making some lasting connections with patients and families in my community. Then came the pandemic and I began to hear from friends and see families in the community struggle as many of them were now caregivers and dealing with many of the issues I had when caring for my mother, in Nov 2021, I started thinking about starting my coaching business and Finding A Foothold began to develop -- which includes a podcast, blog, and group coaching online and in my local community.
Please describe a typical day or OT session in your uncommon setting. What OT skills do you utilize?
My coaching sessions are all online currently. I have several caregiver group coaching sessions that I hold 2 days a week, every other week. Family caregivers can enroll in Monday or Thursday sessions for $49 a month, they attend 2 sessions a month. No long-term commitment. l hour sessions. Q and A at the end of each. Different topics in each session are based on surveys and questions. *NEW* For my seniors/aging adults: Focus has been on local groups and is growing. I have a beta group. I utilize my skills as a certified fall prevention specialist and certified aging-in-place specialist to provide education on how to make small changes in their home, how to properly use equipment, and more, to increase their ability to remain in their homes longer. My goal is to launch an online group and am excited about that.
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
Highs: Knowing that I am helping family caregivers. Meeting new OTs and other professionals, learning social media, and making connections. Lows: It's been a lot of HARD WORK. Learning. Rethinking how I do things, restructuring things that were not working well. It has all been hard work while also still working as a part-time PRN home health OT.
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
Business coaches; Local community organizations; Collaborations and networking; Education and training; Always learning and trying new things.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
It's been challenging because caregivers don't always have the resources they need to pay for coaching, so I switched from individual coaching to group coaching. Also locally, securing contracts has been a key.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
Start. As OT practitioners we possess skills that allow us to enter and add value to all aspects of life. What is it that you love to do? What do you have a passion to change or see made better in the lives of others? Then see how you can develop a business or product to meet that need. Realize that things may need to be modified, make changes and keep going. Don't give up. Get help, a mentor, a coach.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
I can't think of anything.
How do we find you, follow you, be in touch with you, and promote your unique work?
You can email me at c.marshall@findingafoothold.com.
Social Media Links
https://www.findingafoothold.com
https://www.instagram.com/findingafoothold/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRe8NvCR/
www.linkedin.com/in/consuela-marshall-3a136a1b9
https://www.facebook.com/FindingAFoothold/
Website: www.findingafoothold.com
Please list any resources you would like me to include with your Show Notes (courses, articles, assessments, tools, etc.)
Group Coaching: UN-Losing You In Caregiving Group Coaching
Group Coaching: Staying Safe In Your Home Group Coaching
Course: Hospital to Home…Get Your Duck In A Row
As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of you or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsot
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