Occupational Therapy (OTA)

Occupational Therapist enables people to engage and participate in everyday activities trough occupation. The latter role is not only applicable for individuals but also groups or populations. Eventually, with the increase of the aging population, expensive health care services, occupational therapists will have to incorporate health promotion practices into their actual roles.To cope with this phenomenon and to better meet older adult’s needs, the occupational therapist 's role would benefit from being enlarged.Expanding their knowledge and their practices in promoting health will facilitate their work in other domains.This will help them to shift from an individual to a population approach. To achieve that transition, therapists should be more involved in decisions taken by politicians regarding health and to develop services and programs that promote well-being, health, and quality of life. Also, collaboration with other fields such as schools, workplaces, industries, deputies and organizations will help them spread strategies that promote awareness and enable the population to control and maintain an independent healthy lifestyle. Also, therapists understand that the environment can be a crucial factor on health population. Therefore ,they can put pressure on the government to make public places more accessible to disabled people such as providing the subway of a wheelchair ramp and adapt crosswalks to the blind by adding pedestrian signals that include speakers at

The name of the society changed in 1923, due to hospitals wanting a national directory of qualified occupational therapists. There now was a minimal standard of training that had to be met before an individual was put in the directory (AOTA, 2009). The name was changed to the American Occupational Therapy Association. The American Medical Association worked with the American Occupational Therapy Association starting in 1933 on getting improved education programs for occupational therapists (AOTA, 2009).

Within four weeks of fieldwork, occupational therapy students got to know most of the residents at Ruth’s House (dementia unit). The residents have various medical conditions that limit their physical and mental capabilities. Anita, one of the residents in the facility exhibited a range of physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. Based on direct observation, Anita demonstrated fluctuating alertness periods. With no evident trigger, Anita had multiple acute episodes of confusion, irritability, and agitation. In a several group sessions, she was restless and was very difficult to redirect. She kept standing up despite being told to take a seat so she does not fall. She was verbally disorganized. In addition, during the 2-week fieldwork,

While shadowing occupational therapy professionals at Montgomery General Hospital, I gained much insight into the profession and the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of a COTA. The entire facility caseload consisted of geriatric patients, and many of the diagnoses were due to cognitive deficits or recent falls due to weak lower extremities. Diagnoses observed were dementia, CVA, a hip fracture, a total knee replacement, osteoarthritis of the shoulder, bilateral upper extremity/lower extremity weakness, and total blindness.

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.

Jacob is an active is an active 2.10-year-old boy who was evaluated at Anna L. Klein School for occupational therapy services as a part of the comprehensive evaluation to determine his eligibility for Special Education services. He was referred for occupational therapy evaluation due to concerns with his attention, fine motor, and gross motor skills.

I have had many experiences that may have an impact on my career as an Occupational Therapist. When my grandfather suffered a stroke in 2009, I watched therapist closely and asked many questions so that when he was discharged I would be able to help out at home. Occupational therapist helped my grandfather learn how to do basic daily activities again which he could no longer do due to the stroke. Going through this life changing experience I believe will have an impact on my career as an occupational therapist. The compassion and knowledge shown to my family and I during this time is something I can use when I begin my career as an occupational Therapist. When my granddad was in the rehab center after suffering from a massive stroke I closely

Occupational therapy helps to heal a multitude of disabilities; the current high demand for therapists is somewhat due to modern issues, but some have been occurring since the beginning of mankind. Missing a limb is one problem that has occurred for millennium. There is documented evidence that humans have tried to replace a missing appendage since approximately 950 B.C. Throughout time prosthetics have mainly been produced with crude leftover supplies like wood, metal, and leather. More recently, rapid advancements in technology have helped progress the artificial limb from a beam of wood to a robotic arm controlled by the persons own thoughts. To fully understand the accomplishments of today, it is essential to understand the evolution

A job in any type of therapeutic healthcare can be a rewarding and satisfying job. However, I believe that occupational therapy is a special and extremely rewarding field. A field in which I am over the moon passionate about and completely infatuated with. It is the thought of helping people who have been through horrible tragedies to turn everything around and live a happy healthy life that drives me the most. I feel very strongly as though this profession is where I am meant to work in and make a difference in patient’s lives. The more I research topics and studies of occupational therapy the more infatuated with the field I become because it is much more than just a job. To me, this career is a lifestyle

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.

Occupational therapists help people of all ages recovering from physical or mental illnesses participate and perform what they want or need to accomplish through works of therapeutic rehabilitation with use of everyday activities in daily life; hence, giving it the name Occupational Therapy. An occupational therapist must look at their patients holistically, not just the part that is causing them problems. Occupational therapists are important as they help people regain their independence in daily activities. This field is projected to be the fastest in growth in upcoming years.

Therapy can help many aspects of a persons life. There are different injuries or birth defects that need to be treated to perform everyday activities. A variety of different therapy methods and treatments, depending on the personal weakness, can help improve someone’s everyday life.

Admission into SUNY Downstate will allow me to pursue a degree in Occupational Therapy. I believe that admission into your school will provide a great start to my occupational therapy career. Acceptance to this school is important to me because of these different factors that could be beneficial to me such as the experienced professors, class environment, school location and reputation of the facility. I have decided to pick a career in the health field because of the environmental influences that directed me towards my choice. SUNY Downstate has many different factors that could benefit me when it comes to being accepted into the school.

My plans are to give back to my community by working as an occupational therapist at our local hospital, the Fairfax Community Hospital. My strengths are definitely housed in my communication skills, and I love being an aid to others. This career will fulfill my desire to encouragingly help individuals gain independence. One day when there was no school I spent my day job shadowing the occupational therapist at the Community Hospital in Fairfax. My interest of becoming an occupational therapist came from my mom. My mother is a nurse at the Family Medical Center in Rock Port, Missouri. My interest has never been medical, but my mother suggested this career for me because of my personality. Being an aid to others is my dream career. Helping one

himself. The woman next to him asks, “Why are you crying?” He sniffles, “I’m just so happy. I