Sorry buddy....I did realize it was not your quote after I read it again......
Yes, please go on and on about this stuff, for after our meeting of OT and PT faculty students, you could feel the tension and it almost turned into a disaster....but, in the end, I think we came away with the students still not sure (and perhaps a few of us faculty members) as to that fine delineation of our professions. Anything to help, my friend, is appreciated. Perhaps a guest appearance? Peace, David David A. Lehman, PhD, PT Associate Professor Tennessee State University Department of Physical Therapy 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. Nashville, TN 37209 615-963-5946 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Ron Carson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 2:39 PM To: Lehman, David Subject: Re[2]: [OTnow] Fwd: Re: History of the word "occupation" Hello David: I am not the author of the indicated quote! It came from a person at Merriam-Webster. Your ascertain that a "functional goal is often an 'occupational' goal, is something to which I take exception. I have heard many therapists (mainly OT's) assert that function is the same as occupation. A while back, I wrote an OTnews article as to why I don't believe that the two are synonymous. Your last question is an important one - when is it appropriate for an OT to refer to a PT and when should a PT refer to an OT? Here's my answer... If the primary focus of the client and their condition is on remediation of physical dysfunction, the best skilled profession if PT. If the primary concern of the client and their condition is on occupational dysfunction, then OT is the most skilled profession. Putting the above two statements as end-points on a continuum, it makes it easier to see that I some cases OT is best, in other cases PT is best and in some cases, either profession is best. OT PT <<------------------------------------------------------------------------>> Focus on Focus on Occupational Dysfn Physical Dysfn In any case example, the greater the focus on occupation, the greater OT is the most correct profession. Thus, for any continuum of care, a patient may at times be best served by PT and then later best served by OT. Or, a client my be best served by OT for some occupational dysfunction and then later referred to PT for some physical dysfunction. One caveat to the above 'referral guide' is that therapists must understand that there is not a clear relationship between improving physical function and increasing occupational dysfunction. In other words, simply improving physical function does not always directly correlate to improved occupational improvement. I can go on and on about this 'stuff' if you are interested. ================================================= Monday, November 24, 2003, 10:23:02 AM, you wrote: LD> Ron...I cannot believe you made this interpretation in your last post: LD> " In any case, it seems to me that occupational therapy is called just LD> that because of its focus on activity, compared to, say, physical LD> therapy. A physical therapist would help a victim of a car accident LD> regain muscle tone in his or her legs and the ability to walk, but an LD> occupational therapist would teach the person how to climb a ladder, how LD> to go up and down stairs, etc." LD> The whole problem here, as it seems to me, is that physical therapy LD> is concerned with "function" as it is necessary that any goal we write LD> for a patient has to go beyond the impairment improving but be related LD> to a functional goal. LD> The functional goal is often an "occupational" goal based on what LD> it is the patient wants to accomplish with therapy. I cannot say, OK, LD> you now have "X" degrees in knee/hip flexion and your LE strength is LD> "X".....now, I am referring you to an OT to learn to climb the ladder. LD> I would think that a higher level thinking PT would be able to take LD> their client to "that next step". LD> However......I want you to know that I still am trying to LD> incorporate understanding and knowledge into my students activities of LD> our limitations as dictated by modern medical model, and to lead them to LD> understanding that OT is a vital aspect of a person's recovery and that LD> we need to know when to refer:) LD> Peace brother LD> David A. Lehman, PhD, PT LD> Associate Professor LD> Tennessee State University LD> Department of Physical Therapy LD> 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. LD> Nashville, TN 37209 LD> 615-963-5946 LD> [EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> -----Original Message----- LD> From: Ron Carson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:34 AM LD> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> Subject: [OTnow] Fwd: Re: History of the word "occupation" LD> Hello: LD> A while back, I wrote Merriam-Webster about the history of the word LD> 'occupation'. Below is their response. LD> Ron LD> ----- LD> This is a forwarded message LD> From: Judy Yeh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> LD> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> LD> Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 LD> Subject: History of the word "occupation" LD> =================Original message text=============== LD> "Occupation" is related to the word "occupy," and both words ultimately LD> come from the same Latin root word meaning "to seize, to possess or take LD> up." An occupation is a taking up of something: occupation of another LD> country is the taking up or seizing of land; an occupation in the sense LD> of "an activity" is something that takes up one's time; occupation LD> meaning "a vocation, profession, employment" is the taking up of one's LD> time, energies, and life. LD> This word is very old, and has been in use for centuries. "Occupation" LD> in the sense of "employment, business, and/or an activity" has been LD> around since the 1300s at least and was used by authors like Chaucer. LD> However, "occupational" is more recent. The _Oxford English Dictionary_ LD> gives a citation for it from 1850, and I am unaware of any earlier LD> appearances of this word. LD> As for the naming of occupational therapy...I should begin by saying LD> that I don't know much about occupational therapy, but from reading LD> several Web pages about the history of occupational therapy and related LD> disciplines put up by college students studying occupational therapy LD> (like LD> http://www.ceap.wcu.edu/hhp/students/JeffMansfield/archive/rthistory.html LD> http://www.angelfire.com/ut/otpsych/history.html LD> http://tiger.towson.edu/users/ptappe1/historyOT.htm LD> I drew these conclusions: LD> 1) Occupational therapy is rooted in efforts in the 1700s and 1800s to LD> improve the well-being of mentally ill and infirm people. LD> 2) These forerunners of modern-day occupational therapists tried to make LD> the lives of the mentally ill and infirm more fulfilling by finding them LD> activities to *occupy* their time and teaching them skills that would be LD> useful in an *occupation*. LD> 3) Nowadays, occupational therapy is concerned with rehabilitating LD> sufferers of physical illness: injuries (often obtained at work--one's LD> *occupation*), disabilities, and infirmity. (Perhaps the field of LD> occupational therapy expanded in the US after soldiers returned from the LD> first World War?) LD> 4) Someone claimed on the Internet that George Edward Barton was the LD> originator of the term "occupational therapy" LD> (http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&th=61e953aaa46c2c35&rnum=1). LD> I can't prove or disprove his assertion at the moment, LD> but you may find the writing I linked to to be interesting reading. LD> In any case, it seems to me that occupational therapy is called just LD> that because of its focus on activity, compared to, say, physical LD> therapy. A physical therapist would help a victim of a car accident LD> regain muscle tone in his or her legs and the ability to walk, but an LD> occupational therapist would teach the person how to climb a ladder, how LD> to go up and down stairs, etc. LD> I think one reason why occupational therapy remains unknown is that it LD> is often confused with physical therapy. But as the population LD> (especially the "baby boomer" segment) ages, knowledge of occupational LD> therapy will probably spread, since more people will find themselves LD> needing the services of occupational therapists. LD> I hope I have been helpful. Thank you for writing to Merriam-Webster. LD> Sincerely, LD> Judy Yeh LD> Assistant Editor LD> Merriam-Webster, Inc. LD> 47 Federal Street, P.O. Box 281 LD> Springfield, MA 01102 LD> Phone: 413-734-3134, ext. 133 LD> [EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> http://www.Merriam-Webster.com LD> http://www.WordCentral.com LD> http://www.merriam-websterunabridged.com LD> http://www.merriam-webstercollegiate.com LD> ==============End of original message text=========== LD> _______________________________________________ LD> To unsubscribe, visit: LD> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com LD> The OTnow Mail Archive: LD> www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> =============================================== LD> _______________________________________________ LD> To unsubscribe, visit: LD> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com LD> The OTnow Mail Archive: LD> www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, visit: http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com The OTnow Mail Archive: www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] =============================================== _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, visit: http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com The OTnow Mail Archive: www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ==============================================
