Game Changer In Occupational Therapy

Without occupational therapists, millions of people would struggle to live their everyday lives. Occupational therapists give specialized assistance to people with physical, developmental, social or emotional problems. This assistance is used to live productive and independent or semi independent lives. Occupational therapists can be used, and is effective for people of all ages. Many people have not heard of occupational therapy and are not aware of the positive impact it has on members of our society. With this paper I want to spread the knowledge that I have on occupational therapy. Many people that could benefit from occupational therapy do not even know that it exists. This career is difficult for everyone involved, but the impact it has

Occupational Therapy has played a role in helping those with Mental and physical disabilities in the United States since 1917. Before that time, Occupational Therapy was used solely in mental institutions to help people that were "more normal" and able to function in a social status. These patients enjoyed things like arts and crafts. It seemed that those who engaged in such activities where perceived as "more healthy". These findings lead Drs. to encourage patients to engage is such activity to improve there overall health. (http://quoccupationaltherapy.weebly.com/history-of-occupational-therapy.htmlhistory-of-occupational-therapy.html)

Occupational therapy is a profession that is currently growing faster than anyone would have expected. Because of the increase in demands for occupational therapy services, therapists are having larger caseloads, needing the help of more occupational therapists. Occupational therapy in the mental health setting is one environment that has grown in popularity over the last decade. Knowing the benefits of occupational therapy in this setting, and the expansion of clients needing occupational therapy services, more funding needs to be established in this setting.

I hope this email finds you well. I am interested in the M.S. Occupational Therapy program in Hofstra University. Unfortunately due to conflict with my work schedule I would be unable to attend the Occupational Therapy web seminar. I was wondering if it was possible to speak to you or an admissions representative for more information and possible receive advisement.

Purpose: Each biennium and upon initial licensure clinicians are required to take a course related to the Laws and Rules of Practice for Occupational therapy. Through this course clinicians will increase awareness and understanding of the laws and rules that direct licensure as a provider of occupational therapy services.

In order to drive the change, it is necessary to create a sense of urgency among the stakeholders, such as occupational therapists, educators, OT students, and parents. The sense of urgency can be established by pointing out possible consequences of not specifying OTs as school mental health providers under the NCLB. It is necessary to convey to stakeholders that the current trends will continue to restrict the role of OTs to the special education population. In the long run, this trend will further limit OT services to address sensorimotor skills as schools are increasingly hiring different disciplines to support students’ compliance and behavioral issues. Similarly, in the case of budget constraints, schools are likely to eliminate or reduce the scope of OT services to redirect funds to address the needs of the larger population. At the proximal level, the leading school therapists can use team meetings and newsletters to create the sense of urgency. At the societal level, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) can use various platforms, such as OT Pulse and OT connection, newsletters, online blogs, conferences, and Linked in or Facebook forums to create the sense of urgency.

Afflicted by left-side Hemiplegia and bound to a wheelchair, my grandmother’s life was not one of ease. By the time I was born she had been living with her barriers for thirty years and had learned to compensate due to her astounding will and surrounding subpar medical practices. As a child I thought nothing of the fact that my grandmother was stricken with paralysis until I witnessed her take a turn for the worse and suffer another hemorrhagic stroke. Her recovery was long and arduous yet, it was a blessing that brought us closer together and nudged me down the path of Occupational Therapy.

One strategic plan for AOTF is to increase the research workforce to questions of importance and relevance for occupational therapy (AOTF, 2017).

Dementia is a mental health disorder commonly addressed with in the geriatric population. Dementia involves a cognitive decline of the brain. This is a disease of a broader spectrum and can be broken down into other subgroups or diseases such as: Alzheimer’s, vascular, frontal-temporal and dementia with Lewy bodies. As dementia gets progressively worse the more challenges the individual faces. Simple daily occupations such as dressing, feeding, even rest and sleep are difficult task to complete. As occupational therapist it is important to address mental health issues and injustices towards occupations. Dementia is a global health concern as it affects the community or social integration as the disease onsets. This cognitive disorder is usually a concern of inpatient skilled nursing facilities in the latter stages. Therapist must address our role in this

My roles of occupation in my life are being a student, daughter, sister, and an employee. As this moment, my main role is being student in occupational therapy program. I attend to every single classes with a main purpose that I will receive the knowledge that I need to know in order to get my degree in Occupational Therapy Assistance.

A father appearing to be in his mid-forties plays basketball at a basketball court Speno Park in East Meadow, New York, with his daughter, who appeared to be seven years old. The daughter displayed two basketballs and practiced dribbling with both hands using both balls while her father supervised her. The daughter then passes one ball to her father, practicing bouncing the ball while passing it to him. They were playing and passing balls to each other. The father coaches daughter on techniques to effectively to bounce the basketballs and dribble. After the father coached his daughter, both people left the basketball to take a two minute water break in the benches under the shade from the trees. After the break, the daughter practiced aiming and shooting one basketball into the hoops and made shot three hoops.

However, client demonstrate deficit in narrow BOS balance and tandem standing balance with closed eyes and slight resistance. In addition, client was concerned about her balance during one leg rising with opposite hand raising gym exercise. Client will attend occupational therapy services 3x per week and will be able to stand on balance board for 1 minute with wider BOS while holding side bar to improve her balance. For long term goal, client will attend occupational therapy services 3x per week and will be able to stand independently on balance board for 1 minute with narrow BOS to improve her endurance, strength and balance while standing. Client will get education from an occupational therapist for increasing her BOS while standing, and to hold side rail while walking/exercising to avoid future fall accident. It is also recommended that client will attend outpatient physical therapy service to address her balance

Due to their inability to adjust to American culture and traditions, European Immigrants crowded Psychiatric facilities. Mental illness was looked at from the medical perspective and was viewed as incurable, causing individuals to be directed to asylums. Revolutionizing ideas about the causes and treatments of mental illness and deinstitutionalization revived the role of Occupational Therapist in the role of treatment of mental illness. A century later, and though the assistance of occupational therapy in mental health and in the community remain available, still the prevalence in the 18-25-year-old group continues at double the rate of the general population (AOTA). The recovery model emphasizes independence and supports a person’s journey

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.

There is a relationship between research, practice and academics because each one are interrelated with the other one to develop advanced professional practice. There is a growing body of research, and evidence based findings inside and outside from our profession that needs to be scattered. Academics are responsible to teach to the new professionals the resources and evidence-based knowledge available to develop Occupational Therapy practitioner’s vanguard of new professional advances. The profession is active performing studies and developing new evidence to based our therapy interventions. We are seeking to obtain new knowledge to maximize our interventions and to deliver responsible and quality services. It’s necessary developing partnerships