I do not have alot of experience yet ...I am still a student, but I have been in places that simply sit patients up at tables and gave them something to do that may or may not be functional for them specifically. For example, a patient may get something out of cognitively out of sorting colored pegs on a peg board but is has no meaning to their life. Our challenge as professionals is to dig deeper and find something that we can do to reach the same goal but make it applicable to the patients life. However, I understand this has been all but impossible in many rehabs because of productivity demands. I happen to be in a rehab setting that is more flexible because the we smaller and it is acute rehab vs. SNF. I cannot judge how other places are run, in fact, I do feel I am in a unique facility and although I may never be employed there, I will take this experience with me wherever I go. ADL's are the first priority and ususaly what the patients say are goals for themselves but we can make meals, simulate homemaking activites, and the list goes on..the point is that is has some functional application to the patient...so it is always different and changing.
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]on Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 19:06 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [OTlist] The Saddest OT Statement I've Ever Heard How about sharing some specifics - some typical tx sessions. When you say adult rehab, do you mean outpatient,..home health...? This is becoming a mantra - Productivity requirements impose cookie cutter approaches. Therapists are caught in the middle and many give up swimming upstream. I haven't given up, but I know I have to go elsewhere to accomplish this. I'd like to run my own department someday, but I want to learn as much as I can specifically about functional treatment, that is, in addition to doing ADLs with patients. Any info would be appreciated. Barb Howard, COTA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Diane Randall" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 6:31:35 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [OTlist] The Saddest OT Statement I've Ever Heard Wow..I am interning in adult rehab right now and UE therex is only used for people who really need it. Been there six weeks and everything revolves around function. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]on Behalf Of Ron Carson Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 18:40 To: [email protected] Subject: [OTlist] The Saddest OT Statement I've Ever Heard Today, I met a new PT assistant who was just starting with our home health company. He was just finishing with a patient as I was starting my evaluation. The PTA came from 20 years of geriatric rehab and rehab experiences. About 1/2 through my eval he said to me, and I quote: "I'm not use to OT's working on functional things". He went on to say that at his rehab facility, the OT's mainly did UE exercises. "Living life to the fullest". What a crock! Ron -- Ron Carson MHS, OT www.OTnow.com -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
