For one, I hope people repeat what they hear on this list. I hope people say, you know there's a place you can go where other therapists share their experiences, both negative and positive.
The OTnow list has ALWAYS been about posting opinion and experiences relating to occupation and occupational therapy and that is not going to change. Much of what *I* experience as an OT is negative. In fact, it was these negative experiences and the resultant frustration that led to the development of OTnow. I will continue posting my experiences, both positive and negative and encourage readers to do the same. If members on this this list want to read more positive experiences, then they should post them. And, the reason for posting experiences is MUCH greater than just sharing information or complaining about stuff. I believe there's a terrible rift in our profession and that sharing and talking about this rift is the ONLY way it will ever get better. I don't see how AOTA is us. AOTA is far bigger than any ONE of us and that's their purpose. AOTA represents about 35,000 OTs/COTAs, not just one single therapist. This no to say that AOTA is better or more effective than any one of US, they are just different. I am sure there are things that AOTA can do better than any ONE of us and I'm sure there are things that any ONE of us might do better than AOTA. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is just how vastly different are people's experiences and perceptions. Since becoming an OT in 1997, I bet I can count on four hands the number of people who have heard of OT. Of these experiences, by far the majority have related to something like: "Yeah, I had OT and they worked on my arm or fingers". Now, in and of itself, such experiences are necessarily negative. But when looked at within the context of AOTA's position statements on OT's role, these statements are very far off from what we say we do. At least what we say we do on paper. Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Dr. Estelle Breines <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subj: [OTlist] my own long winded non sensical rant DEB> Bravo Carmen! Being one of the elder readers of this list, I feel the DEB> need to share the following. As it happens, when I became an OT in DEB> 1957, no one had ever heard of OT. Now, it is rare that I meet someone DEB> that hasn't been exposed to OT one way or another. Now if they had a DEB> grandmother having OT, they may have one perspective, or if it is a DEB> child, they have another. Perhaps you need the advantage of time to see DEB> how much our profession has growth. Also, Carmen is exactly right. DEB> AOTA is not someone else, it is us. Take an active role in your state DEB> and national associations and you can make positive change. Also, DEB> everytime you share a negative experience, you contribute to the myth DEB> that OT is negative. Try sharing positive experiences. People repeat DEB> what they hear. DEB> Dr. Estelle Breines DEB> President, NJOTA DEB> -----Original Message----- DEB> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On DEB> Behalf Of Carmen Aguirre DEB> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 12:10 AM DEB> To: [email protected] DEB> Subject: Re: [OTlist] my own long winded non sensical rant DEB> What can you do to help solve the problem? DEB> It is really easy for all of us to sit and complaint about the endless DEB> disappointments we have encountered in our practice. I am sure there are DEB> more coming... DEB> The question is: What can we do to help solve the problem? Cont Ed in DEB> Occupational Based intervention?, Study groups with our peers re: DEB> Occupational Based assessments/interventions?, Contact a local shelter DEB> and have patients collect/make/ help with need?. Collect and box coats DEB> for the local homeless shelters ? DEB> volunteer with our state associations? Mentor a student? Mentor a peer?, DEB> continue to do a dis-service to our clients and pretend/wish we were DEB> P.T's? ... DEB> How can we, the very practitioners affected by this lack of identity, DEB> produce the change in our daily practice? Each one of us has the answer, DEB> not "...those AOTA people..." DEB> Carmen DEB> ----- Original Message ----- DEB> From: Joe Wells<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DEB> To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> DEB> Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 4:21 PM DEB> Subject: Re: [OTlist] my own long winded non sensical rant DEB> Chris: DEB> A moratorium on Part B caps is expected hopefully before Jan 1. DEB> This is what was posted on the AOTA website today: DEB> Cap Moratorium in Jeopardy; Action Needed Now DEB> Congress may not pass a bill on Medicare by January 1, so grassroots DEB> action DEB> is needed NOW to pressure members to address the cap in December. DEB> Joe Wells, OT DEB> ----- Original Message ----- DEB> From: "Chris Smith" DEB> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> DEB> To: <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> DEB> Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 2:18 PM DEB> Subject: Re: [OTlist] my own long winded non sensical rant DEB> > Well it's really easy to tell someone to snap out of it. Sounds like DEB> > common OT depression to me and you are far from alone. I have beeen DEB> in the DEB> > profession for 8 years--five in school based. I left because I DEB> couldn't DEB> > please the teachers who wanted one thing and I couldn't please the DEB> > parents. They were either in denial (the lower incomes ones) since I DEB> was DEB> > working with preschoolers and I was the first one to tell them their DEB> kids DEB> > weren't perfect. The middle class parents always wanted endless DEB> therapy DEB> > and nothing satisfied them. I had a great time with the kids who DEB> always DEB> > enjoyedworking with me. Now I have been in long term care at a DEB> number of DEB> > facilites and done a great deal of PRN as well and once again I DEB> found DEB> > myself discouraged. I too have seen 99% exercise based therapy. I DEB> have DEB> > done some activities when I was in a small facility and the only OT. DEB> But DEB> > when I work with other OTs they don't want to do anything but DEB> exercise and DEB> > minimum adls. I want to go to a facility that uses DEB> > occupation to see what they do, I am sick and tired of AOTA people DEB> and DEB> > educators saying basically just do occupation without telling us DEB> what to DEB> > do specifically. I just started doing homehealth and find once DEB> again. DEB> > Everyone wants a HH aide to bath them or they are very happy with DEB> sponge DEB> > bathing. Most are elderly and unmotivated. Most days I wish I had DEB> the DEB> > money to go back to school to become a PT. OT looks great on paper DEB> just DEB> > like you said. Funny I just came to the same realization a few weeks DEB> ago DEB> > and was talking about the same thing to a friend who works at a SNF DEB> with DEB> > lots of modalities. She said if it wasn;tfor using all these DEB> treatments DEB> > she would feel like a fraud, too.Gee, I guess I didn't provide much DEB> > encouragement either. I think therapists need to get together and DEB> brain DEB> > storm. What's going on with the part B caps?Chris OTR/'L DEB> > DEB> > _______________________________________________ DEB> > Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com<http://www.excite.com/> DEB> > The most personalized portal on the Web! DEB> > -- DEB> > Unsubscribe? DEB> > DEB> [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DEB> > DEB> > Change options? DEB> > DEB> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com<http://www.otnow.com/mail DEB> man/options/otlist_otnow.com> DEB> > DEB> > Archive? DEB> > DEB> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]<http://www.mail-archive.com/otlist @otnow.com>> DEB> > DEB> > Help? DEB> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DEB> > DEB> -- DEB> Unsubscribe? DEB> DEB> [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DEB> Change options? DEB> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com<http://www.otnow.com/mail DEB> man/options/otlist_otnow.com> DEB> Archive? DEB> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]<http://www.mail-archive.com/otlist @otnow.com>> DEB> Help? DEB> [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DEB> -- DEB> Unsubscribe? DEB> [EMAIL PROTECTED] DEB> Change options? DEB> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com DEB> Archive? DEB> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] DEB> Help? DEB> [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Unsubscribe? [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] Help? [EMAIL PROTECTED]
