Hello Chris: Sorry to post two messages on the same subject.
Your message says something that really hit a nerve as to why OT is so desperately needed in LTC. You said, CS> My residents basically have no interests. They eat and sleep. Most CS> don't read because they say they can't see and many don't watch TV CS> either. Boy, if I ever read a couple of sentences about people needing occupation, it is the ones that you describe above!!! One thing that I think you may find is that helping people discover occupation is about the hardest thing you will ever do! I believe this is one reason that many therapists don't practice occupation-based therapy - it's very challenging. Of course, increased challenge yields increased rewards!! As you've discovered, most OT's in LTC do not practice from an occupation-based perspective. They often pigeonholed themselves into UE and ADL treatments. As has been discussed many times, this is unfortunate for the profession and even more unfortunate for our clients. How many lives have wasted away because some OT didn't take time, effort and energy to learn and practice occupation. On the other hand, despite 'ranting' about occupation for many years, I fully understand why it's so often not practiced. My ventures in private practice often leaves me feeling more like a PT instead of an OT. Truly, it is a struggle working as an OT in the medical world. It seems like ALL entities in the medical world struggle with to implement occupation - from the doctor to the patient to the therapist. In some ways, it just doesn't make 'good sense' for a patient to see the doctor because of pain, or weakness or whatever illness and then for the OT to say, "Oh, you can't dress yourself, I'll help you with that" . But, I do believe occupation is our saving grace and I desperately wish AOTA would embark on an occupation campaign instead of wasting money on another "backpack awareness" advertising blitz. But, that's a topic for another e-mail!!! Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Chris Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subj: [OTlist] CS> The article in advance was just pathetic. I am struggling with CS> whether or not to continue working in a rather nice SNF actually. CS> The problem is the mind set of the other OTR who is the rehab CS> director and the two COTAs who I supervise. Their whole focus is CS> upper body strengthening with theraband and ADLs serve as the CS> purposeful activity. While I hear about occupation from those "on CS> high," who is really using purposeful activity in LTC. Please CS> contact me and tell me what you are doing. My residents basically CS> have no interests. They eat and sleep. Most don't read because they CS> say they can't see and many don't watch TV either. I think the more CS> active people stay healthy and in their own homes. The couch CS> potatoes end up in LTC ill, depressed and unmotivated. I really am CS> disillusioned with the entire profession--we are too many things to CS> too many people and end up being expendable by the health care world CS> since no one knows what we do . We don't even know. I am tired of CS> the CS> struggle--maybe I should just go back to school to be a PTA or a nurse. TGIF. Chris CS> _______________________________________________ CS> Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com CS> The most personalized portal on the Web! -- Unsubscribe? [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] Help? [EMAIL PROTECTED]
