I am the person responsible for coordinating the completion of the IRF Pt. Assessment Instrument at our facility, and therefore collect FIM scores from all different disciplines. I find it curious that there is this impression on anyone's part that PT can replace OT in its role with this system, or with ADLs and community reintegration. The PTs with whom I work are distinctly uncomfortable scoring the FIM, and their scores in the social cognition and communication area are not at all reliable. We also have an active community re-entry program at our facility, and again, the PTs are the least likely of the disciplines to actively engage in the program. The situation in home care is not new - PTs have always had "first line" access to the home care Medicare client. It becomes essential for the OT to demonstrate the value of their contribution through the results they achieve with their clients. When I started at a local home care agency, there were relatively few OT referrals. I inserviced the nurses and built relationships with the PTs with whom I worked. Over the course of the first year, referrals increased significantly. While our respective professional organizations may be competing for the shrinking health care dollar, I don't believe that each therapist/nurse working in an interdisciplinary environment views it from that perspective. If you can show your team that what you do is making a difference in that client's life, I believe that really helps generate referrals. Ann
*********��*********** 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] *********��***********
