My limited experience with VA hospitals is that SOME OT's do work heavily with crafts. I did an OT internship at the Salisbury, NC VA hospital. The psych side was HEAVILY into crafts, lots of ceramics, gardening, etc. However, the phys-dys side was just like most rehab places. I loved the psych side!! That's were I met my first memorable patient. He came to me with a very spastic hand from a previous CVA. He offered me his hand and said; "Smell it! It smells just like cheese!"
And, he was correct! <LOL> Ron -- Ron Carson MHS, OT ----- Original Message ----- From: pat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subj: [OTlist] We've Already Backed Oursleves Into a Corner! p> Ron, when I told my surgeon that I was an OT, he didn't mention upper p> extremities at all. He said "Oh you're one of those people that does p> stained glass." !!!!! This is a man who works just down the hall from p> the OT dept in a military hospital. p> I told him that I couldn't speak for what other OTs do, but that I p> personally do not do stained glass, or any crafts, with my patients. p> (We do collages, but that's for part of the psych component of the p> pain management program). p> Pat p> -----Original Message----- >>From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>Sent: Oct 22, 2008 7:20 AM >>To: [email protected] >>Subject: [OTlist] We've Already Backed Oursleves Into a Corner! >> >>I am getting ready to do my first home health Medicare recert. While >>previewing the form, I notice the following outcome measures: >> >> * Dressing UB >> * Dressing LB >> * Bathing >> * Toileting >> * Transferring >> * Ambulation/Locomotion >> >>Honestly, my mouth just about hit the floor! In my HH facility, there >>are now about 5 full-time/prn therapists. This breaks down to 4 >>PTs/PTAs and 1 OT. Why in the world are there so many PT's and only 1 >>OT????. Why isn't OT the PREMIER home health discipline? >> >>My answers are really just a bunch of question: >> >> Isn't it because OT has already painted itself into this silly >> corner of focused treatment on the UE? >> >> Isn't it because OT lacks respect and understanding? >> >> Isn't it because in rehab, OT's stand or sit with their >> patients doing silly games with bean bags, balloons, pegs, >> cones, shoulder arcs, etc? >> >> Isn't it because our patients don't demand OT services? >> >> Isn't it because doctor's don't understand or respect our >> services? >> >> Isn't it because we've delegated functional mobility to the >> the PT's? >> >>There really is no one to blame but ourselves for this situation!!! >> >>You know, I'm going to give an inservice to the home health staff, but >>I'm NOT going to say this is what OT does or doesn't do. Instead, I'm >>going to say that this what *I*, as an OT, do. Why? Because I can't >>say this what my profession does when in reality it isn't. In fact, >>that's a HUGE problem for us! Our professional literature and ad >>campaigns say something and yet many of us do something totally >>different. Why? I don't know but I do know it's a HUGE white elephant >>that needs to be shot! >> >>Ron >>-- >>Ron Carson MHS, OT >> >> >>-- >>Options? >>www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >> >>Archive? >>www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] p> -- p> Options? p> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com p> Archive? p> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
