Hello Jean: Thanks for sharing and I am glad you enjoy the list! Spread the news!
Oh, sometime students get a little overwhelmed at the negativity of the list. If that should happen just hang in there. There are LOTS of great therapists in LOTS of great therapy settings. Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Jean Patterson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subj: [OTlist] What is Occupation Based Practice? JP> Hi, JP> I've been reading with interest this discussion. I am an OTA student. I just JP> finished the "book learnin'" and will start my Level IIs in January. We have JP> been taught over and over to use functional activities when working with JP> patients. We were taught that it is ok to use the theraband, theraputty etc. JP> but it should be followed by something functional. JP> I have been a little (ok a lot) nervous about trying to always come up with JP> a functional activity for every patient. JP> I had a one week Fieldwork experience in a rehab setting a few months ago. JP> When I had to work with a patient I tried to think of ways to make the JP> therapy fun. For example, one patient needed to gain strength, ROM, and JP> endurance in both upper and lower body. I used a wooden checker board that JP> had Velcro square wooden pieces with little loops attached. I had her stand, JP> put a light wrist weight on, placed the board on a table top slant board JP> with the table raised to the level I wanted, and we played checkers. She had JP> a good work out that she enjoyed. For documentation you look at the JP> components of the activity. JP> Another day I was to lead a two person activity. The patients needed to gain JP> endurance and walker safety. I decided instead of just an exercise group I JP> would have them make cupcakes (it was Halloween)one younger patient made a JP> sarcastic remark about how she couldn't wait to tell her family what she did JP> in therapy today. I asked her if she really new what OT was all about. I JP> said we look at what occupies a persons time, how we can change it now that JP> they have this disability or weakness, and how we can help them to get back JP> to that "occupation". I pointed out that the way she was moving in the JP> kitchen with her walker was unsafe, and if we had not "practiced" making JP> cupcakes she might not have realized this. She actually couldn't finish the JP> whole activity because she needed to sit and rest. JP> I have run into several people who not only know what OT is, but they tell JP> how wonderful their therapist was and how much they have been helped. JP> The reason I am in OT at the age of 55 is because an OT in home health JP> observed my mother couldn't raise her arm without severe pain. She insisted JP> my Mother get another checkup. Seems that my Mom had a torn rotator cuff JP> that no one caught the entire time she was in the hospital with their JP> therapy department. JP> Sorry, didn't mean to ramble, but I just wanted to share my little JP> experience with OBP as a student. JP> Maybe therapists need to do as my fellow students and I do. We are aware JP> that we can fall into just using the theraband for an activity, but we share JP> different ideas on how we can make therapy more functional. Our teachers JP> give us different scenarios and we have to come up with treatment plans. JP> I enjoy being on this list. JP> Jean Ann -- Unsubscribe? [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] Help? [EMAIL PROTECTED]
