Changing Face Of Stroke

Occupational Therapy and occupational science both incorporate the use of human occupation and are responsive to social movements (Pierce, 2003, p. 7)” Differences, however, derive in regards to the way the two fields operate, as either a basic or applied science. On the one hand, occupational science is an academic discipline that generates “knowledge about the form, function, and meaning of human occupations (Pierce, 2003, p. 6).” Occupational Therapy, on the other hand, uses the basic knowledge derived from occupational science to implement the occupations and activities in client-centered therapeutic treatments.

The profession of occupational therapy has many up and downs since its inception. To regain and remain in power, we shall “reflect more on power, learn to capture it, and become strategic in its use, while remaining ethically guided, we will be better able to serve the public good” (Clark, 2010, p266).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015) every year there are 800,000 individuals who have strokes. There are 610,000 first time cases and 185,000 recurring stroke individuals. It is important for caregivers to note that the increased risk of another stroke is higher after the first (CDC, 2015). It is also critical for the caregiver to ask questions of the physician, such as what aspects physiologically and emotionally have been affected and treatments

The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (2010) has defined occupational therapy as a “client-centered health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation” (p.1). I have defined occupational therapy as a process in which a therapist and a client form a therapeutic relationship in order to increase participation in meaningful and functional occupations. An occupation is any action that increases quality of life, supports self-maintenance, and supplements work and leisure activities. The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (2012) states that the focus of practice is maintaining a balance of person, occupation, and their environment in order to facilitate occupational performance. I have reached a similar conclusion that the focus of occupational therapy is to facilitate synergy between the client and their environment. The result of this synergy will be occupational performance. Occupational therapists are keen to the needs of the client as they relate to completing occupations within a given environment utilizing the client’s capabilities.

The entire profession of Occupational Therapy draws on the idea that occupation can be used to alter an individual 's mental and physical well-being. Occupational therapists use occupation as a tool to achieve this. Participation in occupation is believed to be a significant factor in providing a method for individuals to not only promote, but also maintain their health and well-being (Law, Steinwender and Leclair, 1998).

There are many different conceptual models available to occupational therapists today. These include the Canadian model of occupational performance and engagement (CMOP-E), the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), Person-enviornment-occupation model (PEO), the Kawa model. These are very important to the profession and in guiding the occupational therapy process. The focus of this essay will mainly be on the MOHO.

Each year according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke more than 700,000 Americans suffer a stroke, with about 160,000

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the world. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke. About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes, where blood flow to the brain is blocked and 13% are hemorrhagic strokes, where a weakened blood vessel in the brain ruptures. Stroke costs the United States an estimated $34 billion each year. Strokes are diagnosed and confirmed using physical examination, blood tests and brain imaging techniques. Clinical treatments and preventative measures for stroke have improved in the acute setting, but long-term rehabilitation techniques remain limited. Stroke is a major health problem that greatly affects people of all ages and causes long-term disability

By studying the history occupational therapy, we can see how many different pieces it took to shape the profession. Dating all the way back to the early 1900’s the use of occupational based activities as a form of therapy has shaped our health field. Both WWI and WWII are huge factors in how occupational therapy was brought out. The simple use of occupation has helped thousands of wounded soldiers live a life they couldn’t without the use of occupational therapy. The Consolation House helped form what is known today as the AOTA and brought the mother and father of occupational therapy together to help create a profession that is widely used today. Occupation has evolved out of psychiatric facilities, rehabilitation in sanctuaries, and treating

The initiation of the therapy can vary in how quickly it begins for each individual. For some patients it begins within two days post stroke and continues after being discharged. Since there is such a wide range of the severity of strokes, rehabilitation options can be different from client to client. For some individuals, rehabilitation can take place in an inpatient therapy at a hospital, for others they may return home and attend outpatient therapy at a clinic. There are other options including subacute care units and long term care facilities that also provide important therapy “Rehabilitation Therapy after a Stroke,” 2015). Regardless of the environment, these therapies aim to achieve the same goal of improving the function and independence of the stroke

“Stroke is the third leading cause of death, after coronary heart disease and cancer. Each year there are about 600,000 strokes in the united states and strokes kill over 150,000 americans each year. Over 15% of people who have had a stroke die within 30 days, and 15-30% of people of people who survive a stroke are permanently disabled” ("Your). “A stroke happens when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked by a clot or burst. When a blood vessels burst or breaks, it is known as a hemorrhagic stroke. This causes your brain to not get the oxygen from the blood it needs, killing brain cells. Someone in the world has a stroke every 40 seconds. More women than men have had strokes each year, in part because women live longer.”("About). According

Stroke is cerebral injury caused by acute cerebral circulatory disorder, is a kind of serious hazard to human health and life safety of common refractory disease, which is difficult to reverse once got. There are obvious three tenors (high incidence, high morbidity, high mortality) of it. According to statistics, my country's annual 2 million stroke patients, the incidence rate is as high as 120/10, of which 4.5 million patients with different degree of disability, and the life cannot provide for oneself, the morbidity of up to 75%, 1.2 million stroke patients die each year. Has had a stroke patients, but also easy to relapse again, every recurrence, caused Tremendous risk to human health and life, with great pain to the patient and created a heavy burden to family and society.

Now, let’s us go deeper in answering how serious stroke really is. Globally, stroke is the second leading cause of death of the patients who are at the age 60 and it is the leading cause of long term disability in the United States that is known for having a large population. We know that stroke is a problem globally, but the burden of having a stroke is more severe on the people on Asia; it was equated that its mortality is higher than in North America or Europe. And going to our country Philippines, it is recorded that stroke is the second leading cause of death that has a prevalence of 0.9 percent; ischemic stroke comprises 70 percent and the hemorrhagic stroke comprises 30 percent.

Comment: The subjects were patients who had suffered a stroke and were recruited from three local rehabilitation hospitals in South Korea. They were recruited from a convenient sample of 50 patients (26 males and 24 females). They were treated on an inpatient basis at the local rehabilitation hospitals from May to October 2011. The ages of the subjects ranged from 47 to 72. “The inclusion criteria were: hemiplegia resulting from a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), not from trauma, brain tumor, surgery, or any other etiology; date of onset was at least six months before the date of assessment; the patient had to been admitted for one-month intensive rehabilitation therapy (two session of physical therapy and two sessions of occupational therapy

Occupational Therapists today continue to base their practice on knowledge gained from research. The study of occupational science today allows practitioners to enhance the lives and outcomes of the individuals they work with as a result of disability or ill-health. They can improve outcomes through modification and adaption of their home, work place and also in the wider community.