The value of the outdoor environment was also closely tied to its allowing therapists to address skills in a realistic way. One therapist noted that these situations allowed the “patients skills to be addressed in context in a more comprehensive way, rather than as isolated components as we may be working on in the clinic.” These real life situations also allowed for unexpected situations to arise, which allowed for the assessment of skills such as safety and judgment; or to problem solve, or adapt other situations. One respondent related,” if you have had a stroke or a spinal cord injury and have to use a wheelchair…we want them to get outside of the controlled environment and practice. We might go outside after it rains, and have the patient stay on the path…which may not be wide enough….but if they go off the path, into the mud…that’s real life and they’ll have to deal with it.” Characteristics of the environment, such as wind, often added another dimension to the treatment as one noted, “the wind outside might add another element that the patient has to be able to deal with….like in putting groceries in the car….or maybe debris or items on the ground that you have to avoid….or a puddle of water….how to be safe in those situations.” Some designed identified features as helpful included stop lights, cross walks, mailboxes, and in ground planting beds
The salient aspect of affordances can bring to light some of the differences in outdoor environments in the context
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.
In practice, occupational therapists may use one or more frames of reference to help guide them as they plan out interventions and goals. Two examples of the frames of reference used are the cognitive behavioral frame of reference and the biomechanical/rehabilitative frame of reference. The cognitive behavioral frame of reference looks at how thoughts and behaviors affect the participation or performance of occupations (Cole & Tufano, 2008; Davis, Eshelman, & McKay, 2008; Giles, 2003). The biomechanical/rehabilitative frame of reference involves the establishment or restoration of functional skills; however, if full establishment or restoration is not possible, the modification of tasks or environments is also included (Cole & Tufano, 2008).
Occupational Therapy is a vital segment of the health care field. Individuals in this profession make a difference in the lives of others by helping their patients function effectively despite their disability, illness, or injury. They help by teaching patients many activities of daily living tasks which can include, grooming, toileting, dressing, eating, mobility, and much more! Along with the daily living tasks, Occupational Therapy helps individuals to be productive and successful in ways they want to be, like going school, taking care of others, managing their homes, preparing meals. Most importantly, they help their patients adapt to their environments and increase their independent function by helping them perform tasks with as little help from others as possible. Without Occupational Therapy, some patients with temporary disabilities could have a permanent disability. If individuals receive the Occupational treatments, they can prevent the loss of function.
For instance, patients are treated in rehabilitation hospitals are usually recovering from a major injury like stroke or a broken hip. Outpatient patients are expected to be able to do the basics of everyday life but need to be helped with a specialized task.
The Forest Unseen shows how nature has a beauty on a much smaller scale than what is seen on the larger spectrum of life. Haskell studied a square meter in the forest for an entire year to examine the smallest of details to show how when the large scale is studied there are many things happening in the small scale. The Forest Unseen allows readers to see how much beauty there is beyond what meets the eye. He consistently supports his main themes throughout the book by citing specific examples. Haskell’s endeavor to discover the beauty of the environment is successful in that he uses scientific and poetic language to draw the reader into his study as he explains his day to day experiences in the forest.
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
While there are many ways that a person can specialize in the field of occupational therapy, one of the profession’s draws exists in the potential for variety and diversity. The goal of occupational therapy is to provide therapies and alternatives that allow clients to return to the things that they need to be able to do, and the things they want to be able to do. This is obviously a broad definition, and one that can be achieved in various groups, and through various methods. Occupational therapists can specialize in hand therapy, stroke rehabilitation, driving, community mobility, low vision patients, pediatrics, or geriatrics. In any of these specialties, a therapist can address their patient’s daily living activities, leisure, work, education, or social participation. An increased ability to participate in any of these activities can be facilitated through a variety of treatments: splinting, modalities, adaptive equipment, task modification, environmental modification, or activities centered on desired occupations.
Occupational therapy is a client-centered practice; therefore, the person is the first central tenet addressed in this paper. The person-environment-occupation (PEO) model views the person throughout their lifespan because a person’s roles are consistently changing. The person is made up of characteristics that affect the person, environment, and
The environmental considerations are that she lives with her son and his family in the suburbs (Halloran & Lowenstein, 2000). The environment refers to external and social aspects, that surround the client while engaging in occupations (American Occupational Therapy Association , 2015). The external factors that should be considered are the temperature in the house. the physical setting, and the climate in the area where she lives. The cost for home occupational therapy may be much more expensive than outpatient therapy. The lack of transportation to the hospital can be an issue if home therapy cannot be paid for. Other areas of concern are inaccessible routes at the home, slippery floors, absence of handrails on stairs. There may be insufficient
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 years old housewife that was the primary
From your experience of working within both the lower and upper foundation phase. In which Phase do you feel children have more access to outdoor learning opportunities?
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In North America, the classic voice of the colonizing person’s connectedness to nature and a has been the romantic individualist writing of wilderness.
Providing views of the outdoors from every patient bed, and elsewhere wherever possible; photo murals of nature scenes are helpful where outdoor views are not available
A photograph of Earth reveals a great deal, but it does not convey the complexity of our environment. Our environment (a term that comes from the French environner, “to surround”) is more than water, land, and air; it is the sum total of our surroundings. It includes all of the biotic factors, or living things, with which we interact. It also includes the abiotic factors, or nonliving things, with which we interact. Our environment includes the continents, oceans, clouds, and ice caps you can see in the photo of Earth from space, as well as the animals, plants, forests, and farms that comprise the landscapes around us. In a more inclusive sense, it also encompasses our built