Re: OT and Mobility - Reply to Ed M.

[OhhHiEd]

Ron, I think you may have grossly misunderstood me. I apologize. My statement was made in sarcasm. I do not in any way identify myself as an UE therapist. Quite the opposite, the PT and I often consult each other in selection of appropriate mobility devices to make sure we are complimenting each other during treatments and if we have a difficult (ie. anxious) patient we will co-treat to increase confidence with the patient. That may mean working in the parallel bars before a more functional environment. My point was that, unfortunately, PT seems to have gotten better press over the years and that families (and patients) cannot always determine the importance and benefit of applying occupation in any treatment. Hence my statement, "Can mom walk?"  For example, I have answered this question, "Yes, she made it to the commode today from her bed", or "She was able to stand at the sink and brush her teeth with minimal guidance." In other words, attempting to place their mom's performance within an occupational context. The frustration occurs when the family (and patient) does not take value with a functional improvement and will respond with, "That's nice, but can she walk ?"  They are satisfied with the PT noting that mom ambulated 75 feet with a rolling walker and contact guard assist. It sounds technical enough that something important is being done with mom and at the same time concrete enough for families to grasp. However, as I have stated, when I am successful in increasing the awareness of occupational performance to family and patients, I usually end up with a very strong proponent for OT. Nothing makes me happier at work than to walk past a former client (I work in a retirement community) who introduces me to someone as an OT and then describes the profession accurately. Again, I apologize if my opinion was not received appropriately. I have developed an air of sarcasm about this subject over the years though the fight is still in me. Thank you, Ed Myers, OTR/L