I do some volunteer work at a local adult day care center which primarily houses clients with dementia. Additionally, I also take students there for group treatment intervention. The facility only uses OT on a PRN basis when it's ordered by a physician. There is no in-house OT or PT services for any of the clients.
Part of why I volunteer at the facility is to educate the staff about occupation, occupational therapy and occupation-based therapy. I hope to one day serve as their primary OT. To continue, last week a client began receiving OT. In all fairness, I have not talked with the OT as to why OT was ordered. Not because I don't want to, I just haven't had time. This particular client is a 87 year-old woman who is physically frail but cognitively intact. In fact, the other day when we were doing some group stuff, she was able to recall information about Martin Luther King that I couldn't remember. With regard to her OT services, the only thing the staff knows is that the client is getting OT for some upper extremity problems. The staff has asked me to follow up on some of what the OT is doing. The OT has left instructions and equipment for the patient as follows: 1. Overhead pulleys 2. Thera-putty with beads Directions to the staff included to do range of motion exercises for the client's neck/shoulders and to use the putty for strengthening the client's digits. The majority of clients at this facility have difficulty engaging in meaningful occupation. Granted, some clients are cognitively declined to the point that there is little difference between meaningfulness and non-meaningfullness. I have spent many weeks educating the staff about the role of occupation in people's lives and how OT may be able to facilitate their clients to better achieve desired occupations. So, the staff has now been exposed to two OT's - me and the other therapist. The differences between our approaches seems to me to be about as far apart as two therapists could be. So, what does this say to the staff/client about the role of OT? I am confident that my treatment approach is philosophically sound and I am willing to bet that the other OT will say the same thing about her approach But, how can two therapists be in such different 'camps' and still be providing the same therapy service?? It seems that somehow, one of us is missing the boat or is it that the boat is too big (i.e. too much diversity). What ever the answer, I need help understanding how this is a good thing. Also, if this isn't a good thing, what can we do to help alleviate this disparity in practice approaches. Thanks, Ron P.S. I am trying to be more positive and less punitive in my questions. I do NOT mean to indicate that either of the above treatment approaches is better than the other. I am just trying to illuminate a practice disparity which I believe is happening in many places and to bring the issues to the discussion table. *********��*********** Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist ** List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] *********��***********
