Occupational therapy has the ability to potentially limit and reverse cancer-related disabilities amongst oncology patients, yet it remains extraordinarily underused within adult oncology (Pergolotti et al., 2015). More knowledge is needed regarding functional independence in daily activities of living, coping with stress, difficulties with employment, and the need for future care by healthcare professionals after leaving the hospital (Hwang, 2015).
It is known that physical impairments resulting from cancer and the cancer treatment are best addressed by physical therapists and occupational therapists (Sleight & Duker, 2016). With this being said, there is a need for more data on rehabilitation needs among oncology patients. It is
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Therefore, it is necessary for rehabilitative services to be in place to allow for optimal occupational performance after treatment (Movsas et. al., 2003). We suggest that although there have been studies that recognize the effectiveness of OT interventions with oncology patients, more research is needed to validate the importance of including OT practitioners within oncology treatment.
Implications for Occupational Therapy Practice
Occupational therapy practitioners have the knowledge and skills for producing the best quality of life for cancer patients by focusing on their occupational performance issues. Evaluation of a client should begin with an occupational profile that highlights their strengths and weaknesses and managing approaches in various occupations within the context of the client's lifestyle. A holistic treatment can contain a wide-range of approaches that can be integrated into the client's plan to improve occupation-based problems. The strategies include energy conservation, coping, and relaxation techniques for managing pain, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. Exercise and leisure programs are used to improve strength and mobility. Cognitive strategies, activity and work adaptation, and assistive technology are used to optimize performance in activities of daily living (ADL), education, and employment. Support and volunteer groups can be introduced to prevent social
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
The primary focus of the occupational therapy profession is to improve the ability of the individual in need to perform their occupations on a daily basis. Activities of the daily living have a have a huge impact on people lives’. The occupational therapists used different types of assessments test to help the clients recovered from their injury. One of these assessments tests is the Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills Assessment (KELS). Below is an evaluation of the KELS assessment and the impact it can have in someone life.
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.
Please explain how psychosocial factors have influenced your clients' ability to engage in occupations during treatment.
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.
Occupational therapists work with clients to restore independence that has been lost or disrupted due to illness, injury, or disease. Occupational therapy practice involves assessing and determining an appropriate treatment approach based on the client’s disability and individual needs. There are various occupation-based models, each client-centered and grounded in theory, that guide the clinical treatment process. In addition, the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (3rd ed.; AOTA, 2014) denotes various frames of reference to guide therapists when choosing specific intervention strategies based on the client’s needs (Cole & Tufano, 2018). This paper focuses on the application of the Occupation Adaption model,
Occupational therapy was founded on the principle that participation in meaningful activity is important to the health of individuals. Mental health is very important to the well-being of an individual and those around them. 450 million people experience mental and neurological disorders around the world. These disorders are the leading 5-10 causes of disability worldwide. As services for individuals with mental illness have shifted from the hospital to the community, there has also been a shift in the philosophy of service delivery. In the past, there was an adherence to the medical model; now the focus is on incorporating the recovery model. (2) Occupational therapy’s focus that taking part in engaging and meaningful activities benefits the mental well-being of the individual.
This papers purpose is to describe to the reader an Occupational therapy treatment plan and therapy session using the OTPF as its base to describe client’s performance. It is based off a case study of a 26 year old male racecar driver who suffered a traumatic brain injury and is now admitted into the hospitals ICU unit under a coma. The paper begins with a brief overview of the clients Injuries and occupational profile. It continues with goals that the therapist has set for the client and caregivers and concludes with the client’s treatment plan, along with a SOAP note which explains the client’s treatment and gives other healthcare workers information about the therapists goals and progress of the client
Measuring health status and treatment effects has become increasingly important for occupational therapists working with clients. To justify treatment methods utilized in therapy, it is crucial to collect outcome measures supported by evidence-based research (Berghmans, Lenssen, Can Rhijn, & De Bie, 2015). In working with Mr. Jones, who recently suffered a total hip replacement, I can assess his progress and health status by utilizing evidence-based assessment scales. As we progress through therapy together I want to assure Mr. Jones is regaining his independence and reaching his goals. Through the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form
Through the almost 100 years of occupational therapy as a profession, occupational therapy have gone from a profession focused only on the mentally ill patient to a profession that is targeting a broad range of population ranging from the special needs population, to veterans, and people with different diseases and physical disabilities or injuries. It is inspirational to know that this profession started based on the ideology that “even the most challenged are entitled to consideration and human compassion” (O'Brien, 2012). Likewise, it is fascinating that occupational therapy played such an important role in both of the world war as reconstruction aides focusing on rehabbing the soldiers and helping veterans recover during post-war period
The occupational therapy field is frequently being left behind in the health care field because most of the public is uneducated or unaware of the Occupational Therapy practice and the research that is involved. The public also has a few concerns of OT which include the time commitment to the program, the availability of services, the impact of the therapy on other family members, and the cost involved in continued care. While there are drawbacks to Occupational Therapy, the benefits of the practice outweigh them. The value and purpose of occupational therapy is to support the health and participation of clients by engaging them in their desired occupations. Occupations are activities that reflect cultural values, provide structure to living and meaning to individuals. These activities meet human needs for self-care, enjoyment, and participation in society. There are many different types of therapy used for people with disabilities such as autism, people with limitations from strokes, sicknesses such as cancer, and they can even help prevent childhood obesity. The different types of therapy can range from interventions all the way to dolphin assisted therapy, whatever the therapist finds appropriate. The similarity is that the Occupational Therapist will research and pick the most beneficial type of therapy to proceed with for that certain type of disability or problem that person is having. I believe
I am applying the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: domain and process to my life to produce an occupational profile. Objective of this paper is to synthesize therapeutic potentials and transactional relationships between my occupations and contexts. The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process, 3rd edition is an official document of American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA, 2014). It is intended for occupational therapy practitioners and students, other health care professionals, educators, researchers, payers, and consumers. The Framework presents a summary of interrelated constructs that describe occupational therapy practice. The Framework does not serve as a taxonomy, theory, or model of occupational therapy.
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.
Occupational therapists use multiple frames of reference, theories, and models to guide their practice. The Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model was developed to be used as a framework for guiding clinical reasoning in the analysis and understanding of the interaction between a client and their environment (Law et al., 1996). Occupational therapists are interested in the transactional relationship between the person, environment, and occupation, and pay particular attention to the interplay between these elements (Law et al., 1996). The person assumes dynamic roles in everyday life, which can vary across the lifespan as the person ages, acquires disability, or moves in and out of different contexts (Law et al., 1996). The skills or attributes of a person can influence the type of occupations that individual may participate in. For example, a blind person may choose to listen to an audiobook about nature instead of going for a walk in the woods. The environment also influences the way in
Individuals with multiple morbidity report poor physical functioning, psychological wellbeing and quality of life. Patients have difficulty maintaining social roles, valued work and leisure activities, a positive identity and relationships. Individuals with multiple chronic diseases show increased concern with function and impact of multi-morbidity on daily routines. There is minimal research on occupational therapy intervention for individuals with multi-morbidity. During the six-week study, participants were educated in a group setting over the subjects of activity and health, fatigue management, mental well being, physical activity, medication management and communication with health professions along with experience in goal setting, group