Well written Joe, You raise some important points that help to clarify. I will reply to only #10:
10. No, not too harsh. We need to communicate as human beings. Clarity and conviction are legitimate and necessary forms/tools of communicating. If someone disagrees, then let them do so with equal vigour. I have spoken on this subject with firmness and clarity (some saw it as too harsh, but no apologies for vigourous debate). My point previously is to express my passion for OT as well as my passion for PT (simply not mentioning my passion for other vital professions for brevity in this context). PTs should be great PTs, not poor to mediocre OTs and OTs should strive to be great OTs, not mediocre PTs. If PTs use a significant portion of their 40ish hour work week to act as OTs, then who is acting as a PT in the time they neglect? Who is refining the necessary skills as a PT when they are doiung a half-baked job acting like OTs? With regard to walking versus dancing: I don't care if PTs teach dancing as well as walking. I see one great PT strength is in their concentration on the lower extremities including the neurologic and musculoskeletal. Are dance steps used to facilitate basic mobility? This particular issue seems in some ways pointless academia because dancing is more advanced than walking and I am not sure of what funding source would pay for someone to improve their dancing. (Let me know if you do because I would like to impress my lovely wife.) Perhaps dancing should be left to the Fred Astaire Dance Studio instead of a rehab professional. My understanding of and respect for PT is in their impact at the impairment level, restoring basic musculoskeletal function. That would be a necessary precursor to functional activities/ADLs where we would step in (may we cut in?). I won't try to define comprehensively, but do want to finish by saying that it is important that we not allow our ongoing relationship between OT and PT to be adversarial, or caught up in useless trivialites, but to build each other up and complement each other by refining our own unique skills in the best interest of our clients and for healthcare in general. Take care, Greg ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Wells" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 7:54 PM Subject: Re: [OTlist] what is OT? > "Points-to-Ponder: from Reader's Indigest" :-) > <snip> > 10. Probably a little harsh- but are we OTs too timid to stand up and, > announce our scope to address any dysfunctions (physical, social or mental) > that limits the client from doing what he should or wants to do (ofcourse, > what is acceptable to others and adheres to the so called societal 'norm')? > > Joe > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jimmie Arcenaux" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 11:35 AM > Subject: RE: [OTlist] what is OT? > > > > Biraj, > > > > Are you implying that "activities which an individual needs to do or is > > expected to do" are not functional? I agree that occupation is a broader > > concept, but I believe what is occupational is also functional. > Occupation > > to me is the work of living as a human being. A functional activity by > its > > definition has meaning and relevance to the individual's life. > > > > Thanks Brian for the reference to the roots of OT. I could not agree with > > you more. > > > > Jimmie > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Incandescent [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 9:04 AM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: [OTlist] what is OT? > > > > Hi Jimmie: > > > > Not to put too fine a point on this but my sense is that when viewed from > > the > > perspective of activities "Occupational" is a distinct and larger concept > > than > > "functional". The former also includes within it what is meaningful to the > > individual, whereas "functional" as the word implies refers to those > aspects > > of > > activities which an individual needs to do or is expected to do - thus > > functional. > > > > What do others think? > > > > Biraj > > > > Jimmie Arcenaux wrote: > > > > > I believe also that the use of occupational or "functional" (I hate > using > > > that term because it is coined well too often by OTs) activities as the > > > primary treatment modality is a hallmark of occupational therapy. It is > > > what the professions history is based upon. > > > Jimmie > > > > > > > > *****************************��********************************** > > > > To remove yourself from the OTnow mail list, 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] > > > > *****************************��*********************************** > > > > > > *****************************��********************************** > > > > To remove yourself from the OTnow mail list, 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] > > > > *****************************��*********************************** > > > > > *****************************��********************************** > > To remove yourself from the OTnow mail list, 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] > > *****************************��*********************************** > > *****************************��********************************** To remove yourself from the OTnow mail list, 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] *****************************��***********************************
