Strongly disagree. Our specialty IS recognized by patients who seek and agree on the benefits of our intervention,; referral sources which consider us important enough to do just that: refer clients to us; Ins Co's which pay ( if they did not recognize OT, $$ would NOT be sent our way!) and physicians, nurses, other professionals .
I get the impression this discussion is "stuck" in the bio-mechanical FOR. Are we stuck in the things OT can not do? What about the world of difference OT makes in Mental Health practice, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, and others, where MOHO, Occupational Science; etc, are heavily applied . If Occupational Therapy were not recognized here and now, we would not be here today! The various changes/opportunities MCR and other Ins. Co's have implemented to their policies, precisely because of OT contributions, would not be available to us... Are we making a positive difference in the lives of the clients we treat on not? If not, why are we still practicing... I am thinking of prior discussions about AOTA and cost of membership: How would those " doing something " efforts be paid for? Some practitioners don't even want to be members because of the dues... I believe that WE are AOTA and it is in our hands to create the changes..."do something", one doctor in the elevator at a time, one passer-by in the street at at time. The alternative is from this day forward, to mis-educate consumers that OT is like PT but for the upper extremity! Carmen ----- Original Message ----- From: Ron Carson<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Joan Riches<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Friday, April 28, 2006 4:59 AM Subject: Re: [OTlist] Occupation Hello Joan: I think I understand what you are saying about OT's being specialists in occupation, but the system in which we work (system includes: patients, referral sources, payers, other providers) does NOT recognize this speciality. Having a speciality that is not recognized by others is of little value. In our beginning, OT's speciality in occupation was recognized and highly valued, but over the years, this speciality and valuation has been lost. Again, I think this is our problem and is exactly why SOMETHING must be done by AOTA. You said: quote > Part of our problem is that occupation is present in EVERYTHING quote > that anyone does. Our special expertise is that we see that. then went on to say: quote > Many people can do their own OT interventions. On one hand, it seems that occupation is OUR speciality and the other hand, it seems that almost anyone can do it - these statements appear conflicting. Joan, I understand your dentist example, but I don't think that is how most people think. Most people, including me, think; my tooth hurts, who can help me? I wish things were the way you described but my reality is that they are not. One of OT's claim to fame is the use of therapeutic occupation (i.e. using teeth brushing as the agent to improve dynamic standing) Your comments seem to point against the use of occupation as a therapeutic agent, at least in the below example. Great dialogue, Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Joan Riches <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subj: [OTlist] Occupation JR> Right Ron JR> The dentist is a person with a profession who has a specialised expertise JR> just like us. The dentist looks at a toothache with dentist eyes. The JR> occupational deficit is implicit in the dental problem but it is not her JR> expertise to address it - just as (unlike the OT/PT confusion) it is not JR> part of our expertise to address the toothache per se. JR> Part of our problem is that occupation is present in EVERYTHING that anyone JR> does. Our special expertise is that we see that. I am remembering my own JR> frustration when in Home Care I kept walking into situations where VERY JR> OBVIOUS simple things were working against the client or compromising JR> safety. Finally I realised that those things were not obvious to either the JR> nurse or the client. It took OT eyes to see them and make them explicit and JR> that is why I was there. Value your OT eyes. They are special. They are what JR> make us specialists in occupation. They have become so much a part of us JR> that we take them for granted. JR> There is a problem our profession has that many others do not have. Many JR> people can do their own OT interventions. You have described a lot of them. JR> We do go to the dentist so we can eat corn on the cob. We've unconsciously JR> done the assessment and identified the component that needs to be addressed. JR> Then we name the component as the problem in order to access the specialty JR> that can address it. JR> The difference between us and the dentist is that dentistry is not embedded JR> in all of life. The people who need us are those whose unconscious JR> assessments are incomplete; for whom return to 'normal' is compromised by JR> factors they do not have the expertise to consider; or whose present JR> distress can be alleviated by practical means while natural or medical JR> healing takes place. JR> Quote from Michael "When given the choice of brushing their teeth standing JR> at the sink (or) performing resistive standing exercises in parallel bars in JR> most cases pt choose the exercises." I would too. I want to get my mouth JR> feeling fresh and it's easier and more satisfying to do with the JR> environmental modifications of sitting down with a glass and kidney basin. JR> Struggling to do it standing at the sink compromises my occupational goal of JR> a clean mouth and makes me feel inadequate. I'd sooner work on the standing JR> separately in a social atmosphere where it is the prime concern. Someone JR> (like us) needs to notice when I can stand well enough to use standing to JR> support teeth brushing and encourage it. At that point standing ceases to be JR> an occupation that requires my full attention and becomes a component to JR> support dental hygiene. As I recover, dental hygiene will cease to be an JR> occupation and become a component as well. This is called client centred JR> practice. It's about not confusing our goals with the client's and then JR> getting frustrated because we think our goals are more important. Lots of JR> people will progress to standing at the sink on their own. We can help them JR> by noticing and making the progress explicit since most of them will be JR> focusing on the things they still cannot do 'nornally'. JR> Wow has this discussion ever taken off. It's hard to keep up. Such a joy to JR> have a place to struggle with these questions and others to 'listen ' with JR> OT ears. Sorry if I'm pontificating. It's exciting to be so stimulated. JR> Joan Riches -- Unsubscribe? [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Change options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com<http://www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com> Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> Help? [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[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]
