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Abbey Shamp

Northland Community and Technical College - EGF


OTAC 2150 Special Projects
INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT
Interviewee #1: Al Rasmussen
Reason for Interviewing: Mr. Rasmussen worked with AgrAbility through the University of
Minnesota Extension and he is a farmer.
Type of Interview: Phone Interview
Duration of Interview: 24 minutes
Background Information: Mr. Rasmussen is a farmer and he worked with AgrAbility through
the University of Minnesota Extension for about ten years. He stated that AgrAbility is a great
program and he has seen lots of positive aspects come out of it. He described the process that
farmers would go through to obtain services from AgrAbility. The initial contact was usually
from family, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or they simply had an injury and needed
AgrAbility services. AgrAbility, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and either an Occupational
and/or a Physical Therapist would go to the individuals farm and complete an assessment in
order to determine what the farmer does on a day to day basis in order to complete their job as a
farmer. They would look at the specific tasks the farmer needs to complete and also look at the
environment surroundings to see how that could be impacting the farmers job performance. If
they concluded that the farmer could benefit from a specific type of assistive technology
equipment they would further assess the need and then go through the process of obtaining and
implementing that piece of assistive technology equipment. Vocational Rehabilitation Services
would provide the funds for the initial assessment. Mr. Rasmussen and AgrAbility in Minnesota
worked with roughly seventy-eight farmers a year. Most of these farmers were men, but there
were a few women that mainly had an illness that got in the way of farming like they used to.
AgrAbility was able to help these woman get assistive technology as well.
Mr. Rasmussen said that AgrAbility had a group meeting called Fence Line this meeting
allowed clients and employees the ability to share new information about new assistive
technology and this was also an opportunity for them to connect with other individuals who are
going through the same thing. Through this group meeting one gentleman realized that being
bitter about his current situation was not going to change his life, because these guys are going
through the same situation I am so I can do it too. The group members were more than willing to
help each other out and provide each other with support.
Interviewee #1: Al Rasmussen
CAT Interview Questions
Interviewer: Abbey
1. What farm related disabilities/injuries did you work with?

I worked with Spinal Cord Injuries, Amputees, mobility limitations, decreased


hand strength, paraplegics
2. Is it a difficult process for farmers to get assistive technology? How much does it cost?
Grant availabilities/financial support?
Not difficult but it does take time. Through AgrAbility, Vocational Rehabilitation
Services, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) financial
support is available if the individual is eligible. The individual is eligible for
USDA financial services if they got injured on the farm or got injured while
working on the farm. One story he told me was about an individual who got
injured and Vocational Rehabilitations services initially thought that he would not
be able to go back to farming. But, Mr. Rasmussen stepped in and said no, if you
are willing to pay 40,000 dollars for the individual to get a college degree for
some occupation he is unsure he wants to do, and we know he likes farming, you
give me that 40,000 dollars and I will get him back up in the tractor through the
use of assistive technology, they were like what?!, and he said yes, we can get
him back up in the tractor. Mr. Rasmussen and his coworkers were able to sell
this to the vocational rehabilitation services and they allowed them to use the
money to get the farmer back to farming through the purchasing of the necessary
adaptive equipment needed.
3. Have you assisted farmers with the process of obtaining assistive technology? What
organization did you use?
Yes, he worked for AgrAbility through the University of Minnesota Extension.
Organizations-USDA and Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4. Do you see more children coming in with farm related disabilities verses adult farmers?
Not much, the youngest individual I worked with was 23. He mentioned that other
health care professionals would do a better job at providing services to children
than what our services offer.
5. Have you done on the farm evaluations and made modifications?
Yes, completed assessments to determine what the patients need in order to be
independent again.
6. What are some ergonomic changes that could be made for farmers to reduce and decrease
the risk of farm related injuries?

Some simple changes I have been a part of have been as simple as adding handrails,
ramps for wheelchairs, hand controls verses foot controls, using a webcam for
backing up and attaching equipment to tractors/pickups and assisting the farmer in
getting an automatic hitch so the individual would not have to get out of the tractor or
pickup. Also assisting individuals in buying utility vehicles could help these
individuals with carrying heavy items to and from their destinations would greatly
reduce farm related injuries as well.
7. Would farmers be more willing to have OTs come to their farms and provide suggestions
to them, do various assessments in their farm environment and providing treatment
sessions at their farm verses going to a clinic?
Yes, it is important for OT services to go to the environment and actually see how
the farmer must perform and work in order to get the farming job done safely.
Interviewee #2: Stacy Smallfield, DrOT, MSOT, OTR/L, BCG
Reason for Interviewing: Stacy Smallfield is an occupational therapy educator, researcher, and
practitioner. She has knowledge of farmers with disabilities.
Type of Interview: Phone Interview
Duration of Interview: 17 minutes
Background Information: Stacy Smallfield is an associate college professor at the University
of South Dakota and she teaches occupational therapy courses, she is an evidence-based practice
researcher and an Occupational Therapy practitioner.
Interviewee #2: Stacy Smallfield
CAT Interview Questions
Interviewer: Abbey
1

How many farmers with disabilities do you see weekly?


She is a teacher and has not worked in the clinical setting recently so she has not
seen any farmers with disabilities.

What is the most common farm related disability you see?


There are a lot of farmers that have undiagnosed injuries/disabilities, low back
pain is common, arthritis, amputations, and musculoskeletal disorders are a big
issue for farmers.

Do you see a need for OT services for farmers with disabilities?


Yes, especially in rural areas where there usually are not enough Occupational
Therapy practitioners available to reach farmers in very rural areas.

Would farmers use OT services if they were aware what OTs can provide?
Yes, more education and advocacy to farmers would be beneficial to them.

Are you able to incorporate farm related tasks in your therapy sessions?
Occupational therapist dependent and also depends on resources and funding
available to therapist and farmer.

Are OTs providing purposeful and meaningful interventions for farmers?


Depends on farmer, therapist and the setting of the therapy interventions and also
is important for occupational therapists to explain and educate farmers why they
are doing what they are doing throughout the therapy session.

Would farmers be more willing to have OTs come to their farms and provide suggestions
to them, do various assessments in their farm environment and providing treatment
sessions at their farm verses going to a clinic?
Client/farmer dependent

Is it a difficult process for farmers to get assistive technology? How much does it cost?
Grant availabilities/financial support?
Important for OT to work cooperatively with the farmer and to use the farmers
problem solving knowledge to figure out what is best for the farmer. Assistive
technology is usually not covered by medical insurance.

Have you assisted farmers with the process of obtaining assistive technology? What
organization did you use?
No, but she has seen what farmers can use and what some farmers she knows
have used for years.

10 Do you see more children coming in with farm related disabilities verses adult farmers?
Children on farms are a concern, but she has not worked or seen this directly and
she stated that it is important for Occupational Therapists to educate parents and
children on safety around the farm.
11 What types of farm-related child injuries have you seen?
She does not work in a clinical setting and has not seen any children with farm
related injuries.
12 Have you done on the farm evaluations and made modifications?
No, she teaches and has not complete farm evaluations or made modifications
recently.
13 What are some ergonomic changes that could be made for farmers to reduce and decrease
the risk of farm related injuries?

When farmers have the need they will usually look into it themselves, but if they
have an occupational therapist with them it is more beneficial to them. It is
important to educate farmers on ergonomics as well.
14 Have you provided ergonomic evaluations and modifications to farmers before?
Examples?
No, she has not done this due to the fact that she teaches and does not work in a
clinical setting at the moment.
Interview Summary
I feel like both the interviews went very well. I was prepared for both of the phone interviews
and I did have to change a few of my questions on the spot and also omit questions that were not
relevant to the interviewee. I mentioned to both of the interviewees that I was working on
competing and evidence-based practice research question that would be a final poster
presentation; they did not expand on this after I mentioned it.
I learned that occupational therapy professionals can have a significant impact in providing
farmers with disabilities farm related therapy services. There are not very many skilled
occupational therapy professionals currently working with farmers with disabilities due to the
fact that most farmers live in very rural areas and may not have access to skilled occupational
therapy services. This is an area where occupational therapy professionals could focus and
expand on. I feel that if farmers had a greater understanding of what occupational therapy was
and had open access to occupational therapy services they would be able to seek occupational
therapy services they may need. Education and explaining the meaning and purpose behind
occupational therapys goal in assisting farmers to be more independent with farming has a
significant impact on the willingness of farmers seeking and participating in therapy treatment
sessions. If the farmers understand an occupational therapists therapy goals for them, then they
will be even more motivated to actively participate in the therapy sessions. Education is huge.
I also learned more about AgrAbility and assistive technology and how it works. AgrAbility and
their employees work with vocational rehabilitation services, occupational and physical
therapists to ensure their clients get the farm assistive equipment that they need in order for them
to be as independent with farming as possible. AgrAbility employees and occupational therapists
will assist farmers in the process of attaining the assistive technology equipment and also assist
in the process of writing grants and applying for various financial resources. Assistive
technology is expensive and sometimes difficult to obtain, but with time and assistance from
occupational therapists and AgrAbility services it is possible to get the assistive technology
equipment that the farmer needs. Some simple, inexpensive modifications that can also be made
for farmers include; adding hand rails, ramps, and hand controls. There are multiple ways in
which farmers can continue to be successful and independent with farming.

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