Occupational Therapy Research Paper

As occupational therapy services diversified, serving a variety of clients in many different settings and with societal influences, the field began to evolve. During the 1990s occupational therapists began to shift away from reductionist medical model toward a more holistic client-centered approach. Services focused on enhancing individuals’ quality of life across the lifespan meaning before, during, and after therapeutic intervention. The profession began to better acknowledge the value of client education, injury and illness prevention, health screening, and health maintenance (Cole & Tufano, 2008). The field created more preventative initiatives, and focused services on improving quality of life and optimizing the independence of

A clinical situation that has taken place that has enabled me to incorporate the “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd Ed.)” (AOTA, 2014) into my approach was when an individual that has had a car accident during an ice storm. We will refer to this individual as Jane. She was a 55 year old housewife that was the primary caretaker of her husband who had suffered a stroke a few years ago. Jane took care of all the home management as well as transportation and health care needs for her husband. Jane was very active in her community as well as her family that lived several hours away.

Occupational Therapy is a diverse and relatively new field in medical science, for many years the word occupation was not part of the daily language let alone seen as part of the medical profession. With that in mind it is understandable that occupational therapy is not known to many in society. The focus of this assignment is to enhance the knowledge around occupational therapy to its service users, thus giving them an understanding of what the service can do for them by underpinning the philosophy of the profession. Furthermore, it will reveal the core concepts around occupational therapy and how these can influence a service user to participate and engage in the service.

As an Occupational Therapy Assistant, I will work alongside an Occupational Therapist and work directly with patients. The difference between an OT and an OTA is that OT’s set up treatment plans and perform medical assessments while OTA’s carry out the treatment plans with the patients. In volunteering at rehab clinics, I’ve learned that Occupational Therapists often spend much of their time dealing with paperwork while OTA’s are performing more hands on work with people. Their day includes helping patients in performing rehabilitative exercises within a treatment plan. Occupational Therapy Assistants help people to regain their ability to perform activities of daily living, or ADL’s. These are the core aspects which

To be able to participate in one 's own life, to do the things we want to do, and to competently perform the activities that form part of our daily, weekly or monthly routines, is a common goal for most people.  This not only includes taking part in the basic activities of self-care, such as grooming and dressing, but also extends to our work and leisure activities.  It is through doing things that we learn and develop as human beings.  The occupational therapy profession believes that being prevented or hindered in some way from participating in the activities that are important to us could adversely affect our health and wellbeing.

Children with many different disabilities need the intervention of an occupational therapist; therefore, occupational therapists work in the school systems. Elderly people often begin to lose their physical ability to do certain tasks, so there are occupational therapists working in nursing homes or providing in home care. Many athletes suffer sports injuries that cause them to lose their ability to do daily activities, and occupational therapists are available to them in rehabilitation centers and hospitals. These are just a few of the many scenarios where occupational therapists are available; they can also work in orthopedic centers, colleges, mental health settings, and drug and alcohol settings (Hoffman & Harris, 2000, p. 405). Due to the fact that occupational therapists can often specialize to a certain type of patient, it may be helpful to hold a job in college where one could learn how to work with that group of people. For instance, if a prospective occupational therapy student wants to work in a preschool for students with special needs after they graduate then it may be beneficial to hold a job as an assistant preschool teacher. Similarly, if the goal of an occupational therapy student is to provide their service to elderly people then training and working as a CNA would provide both useful experience and medial

Occupational Therapy is a health, wellness and rehabilitation profession devoted to the development of performance and function across their lifetime so that individuals can live their life to the fullest. The holistic approach taken by occupational therapy practitioners is particularly effective in the areas of wellness, health promotion, and prevention. The practice of occupational therapy can take place in health care and education settings, and in community based agencies and organizations. The timing is excellent for occupational therapy in the area of wellness and prevention. Occupational Therapy practitioners administer habilitation and rehabilitation services, which are among the fundamentals health benefits of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, occupational therapy’s holistic approach correlates the ACA’s focus on wellness and prevention. By focusing on wellness, managing chronic, improving function, and supporting independence, occupational therapy practitioners can assist the interprofessional leading care team enhance outcomes while reducing costs. This paragraph states the role of an occupational therapist in Health Care Reform (www.aota.org).

One scholar that has contributed a substantial amount of research that has impacted the occupational therapy profession and clients within the occupational therapy services is Dr. Tracy Chippendale. Dr. Chippendale is an occupational therapist that received her Masters and PhD at New York University. Dr. Chippendale is currently an assistant professor teaching courses on human development, research, and occupational therapy practice with older adults in the occupational therapy department at New York University. Dr. Chippendale has over seventeen years of experience working with older adults, which has influenced her research that focuses on geriatrics. This research places emphasis on intervention methods that allow elderly individuals to

I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Irene Rademeyer, LPT of 1945 Barcelona Drive. Dunedin, Fl. 34698. In talking with Ms. Rademeyer, I learned that she obtained her Physical Therapist license 43 years ago in 1972 (I. Rademeyer, personal communication, June 22, 2015). Ms. Rademeyer developed an interest in this profession from the influence of her mother who was a nurse. Although she did not want to follow directly in her mother’s footsteps, she had a desire to help others in a medical capacity and the independence physical therapists have in managing the care of their patients appealed to her (Rademeyer, 2015). Ms. Rademeyer expressed that she had a desire to be able to change the lives of people by helping them to regain functionality and

Exemplar three shows evidence of my personal experience, which has strengthened my ability to relate to clients and my passion for occupational therapy. It has also allowed me to demonstrate my understanding of a range of techniques, in

My observations began with Shelley Seratt, OTR/L at Sports Plus Rehab in Dyersburg, Tn. I was fortunate enough to observe Shelley work with both geriatrics and pediatrics. I was allowed to observe an Aquatic Therapy session and a feeding therapy session. The feeding therapy session was very beneficial to watch because I was unaware of how crucial that aspect of Occupational Therapy would be. My favorite part of the day was when I was allowed to help an elderly stroke victim relearn how to wash dishes. Her genuine excitement of conquering an everyday task was

I was astonished that occupational therapists made a discernible difference in my grandmother’s life to return to doing the things again she cherished in life. My grandmother was able to do the daily activities without relying on someone else’s assistance. Consequently, I realize that I want to become an occupational therapist because I want to create a positive impact on a person’s life, the way the occupational therapist did for my grandmother. Therefore, I am sure that occupational therapy is a career that I want to pursue. I would like to give an effectual treatment for patients, as my grandmother, go from not being able to do things to being able to do daily tasks again. I would like to gain abilities and effective techniques to help people of all ages who need me and make a difference in their lives. I would like to help disabled and sick people do their daily routines again such as getting dressed, driving and writing. Besides, I am so motivated by the diverse nature of the work and the consequences of meaningful activities that help people improve their qualities of life in order to actively participate in

Occupational therapy has been in the process of continued development since the 1900’s. With several contributors helping to build the groundwork for creating the awareness needed to bring occupational therapy into the field of health care. Continued research is contributing to the ongoing significance of how occupational therapy is a vital aspect in promoting increased independences in all aspects of healthcare. (Willard, Schell, 2014) With the incorporation of “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd ed.)” helps creates the foundation for occupational therapy clinicians as well as other health care providers in facilitating the core believe of occupational and the relationship of health and occupation. (AOTA 2014) Therefore, providing a uniform outline of the various aspects of each individual and how they are interconnected to create the foundation of each individual. With a greater understanding of the foundations of that induvial, the clinician can then facilitate the best therapeutic treatment plan for that individual to achieve their personal goals with unified foundations of care.

I reflect on what inspired me to become interested in the healthcare field and how I will use the knowledge I’ll obtain as a physical therapist to assist other individuals. I envision my future as a physical therapist and the changes I will implement in various patients’ lives by encouraging and motivating them. I will provide understanding and guidance during rehabilitation aiming to enhance the lives of my patients who are in need of strength; in addition to those who feel they have lost their sense of normalcy regarding temporary or permanent disabilities.

When someone has had a stroke, they can experience emotional, sensory, motor, and cognitive functional deficits (Orchanian & Jamison, 2012). Occupational therapist’s can help the client regain the highest level of functioning achievable in these areas. Medical science this semester went into great detail about occupational therapy services for people who have had a cerebrovascular accident. Most important, therapists work on motor rehabilitation and teaching adaptive techniques. It is also imperative to understand the location of a stroke because it can determine the functions that are lost and the abilities