Hello David: I fear that the only thing a guest appearance might do is further alienate the professions. I have been accused more than once of being a PT hater!!
For the record, I am an OT lover, not a PT hater!! Ron ================================================= Monday, November 24, 2003, 4:12:32 PM, you wrote: LD> Sorry buddy....I did realize it was not your quote after I read it again...... LD> Yes, please go on and on about this stuff, for after our meeting of LD> OT and PT faculty students, you could feel the tension and it almost LD> turned into a disaster....but, in the end, I think we came away with the LD> students still not sure (and perhaps a few of us faculty members) as to LD> that fine delineation of our professions. LD> Anything to help, my friend, is appreciated. LD> Perhaps a guest appearance? LD> Peace, LD> David LD> David A. Lehman, PhD, PT LD> Associate Professor LD> Tennessee State University LD> Department of Physical Therapy LD> 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. LD> Nashville, TN 37209 LD> 615-963-5946 LD> [EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> -----Original Message----- LD> From: Ron Carson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 2:39 PM LD> To: Lehman, David LD> Subject: Re[2]: [OTnow] Fwd: Re: History of the word "occupation" LD> Hello David: LD> I am not the author of the indicated quote! It came from a person at LD> Merriam-Webster. LD> Your ascertain that a "functional goal is often an 'occupational' goal, is LD> something to which I take exception. I have heard many therapists (mainly LD> OT's) assert that function is the same as occupation. LD> A while back, I wrote an OTnews article as to why I don't believe that the LD> two are synonymous. LD> Your last question is an important one - when is it appropriate for an OT to LD> refer to a PT and when should a PT refer to an OT? LD> Here's my answer... LD> If the primary focus of the client and their condition is on remediation of LD> physical dysfunction, the best skilled profession if PT. If the primary LD> concern of the client and their condition is on occupational dysfunction, LD> then OT is the most skilled profession. LD> Putting the above two statements as end-points on a continuum, it makes it LD> easier to see that I some cases OT is best, in other cases PT is best and in LD> some cases, either profession is best. LD> OT PT LD> <<------------------------------------------------------------------------>> LD> Focus on Focus on LD> Occupational Dysfn Physical Dysfn LD> In any case example, the greater the focus on occupation, the greater OT is LD> the most correct profession. Thus, for any continuum of care, a patient may LD> at times be best served by PT and then later best served by OT. Or, a LD> client my be best served by OT for some occupational dysfunction and then LD> later referred to PT for some physical dysfunction. LD> One caveat to the above 'referral guide' is that therapists must understand LD> that there is not a clear relationship between improving physical function LD> and increasing occupational dysfunction. In other words, simply improving LD> physical function does not always directly correlate to improved LD> occupational improvement. LD> I can go on and on about this 'stuff' if you are interested. LD> ================================================= LD> Monday, November 24, 2003, 10:23:02 AM, you wrote: LD>> Ron...I cannot believe you made this interpretation in your last post: LD>> " In any case, it seems to me that occupational therapy is called just LD>> that because of its focus on activity, compared to, say, physical LD>> therapy. A physical therapist would help a victim of a car accident LD>> regain muscle tone in his or her legs and the ability to walk, but an LD>> occupational therapist would teach the person how to climb a ladder, how LD>> to go up and down stairs, etc." LD>> The whole problem here, as it seems to me, is that physical therapy LD>> is concerned with "function" as it is necessary that any goal we write LD>> for a patient has to go beyond the impairment improving but be related LD>> to a functional goal. LD>> The functional goal is often an "occupational" goal based on what LD>> it is the patient wants to accomplish with therapy. I cannot say, OK, LD>> you now have "X" degrees in knee/hip flexion and your LE strength is LD>> "X".....now, I am referring you to an OT to learn to climb the ladder. LD>> I would think that a higher level thinking PT would be able to take LD>> their client to "that next step". LD>> However......I want you to know that I still am trying to LD>> incorporate understanding and knowledge into my students activities of LD>> our limitations as dictated by modern medical model, and to lead them to LD>> understanding that OT is a vital aspect of a person's recovery and that LD>> we need to know when to refer:) LD>> Peace brother LD>> David A. Lehman, PhD, PT LD>> Associate Professor LD>> Tennessee State University LD>> Department of Physical Therapy LD>> 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. LD>> Nashville, TN 37209 LD>> 615-963-5946 LD>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] LD>> -----Original Message----- LD>> From: Ron Carson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] LD>> Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:34 AM LD>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] LD>> Subject: [OTnow] Fwd: Re: History of the word "occupation" LD>> Hello: LD>> A while back, I wrote Merriam-Webster about the history of the word LD>> 'occupation'. Below is their response. LD>> Ron LD>> ----- LD>> This is a forwarded message LD>> From: Judy Yeh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> LD>> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> LD>> Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 LD>> Subject: History of the word "occupation" LD>> =================Original message text=============== LD>> "Occupation" is related to the word "occupy," and both words ultimately LD>> come from the same Latin root word meaning "to seize, to possess or take LD>> up." An occupation is a taking up of something: occupation of another LD>> country is the taking up or seizing of land; an occupation in the sense LD>> of "an activity" is something that takes up one's time; occupation LD>> meaning "a vocation, profession, employment" is the taking up of one's LD>> time, energies, and life. LD>> This word is very old, and has been in use for centuries. "Occupation" LD>> in the sense of "employment, business, and/or an activity" has been LD>> around since the 1300s at least and was used by authors like Chaucer. LD>> However, "occupational" is more recent. The _Oxford English Dictionary_ LD>> gives a citation for it from 1850, and I am unaware of any earlier LD>> appearances of this word. LD>> As for the naming of occupational therapy...I should begin by saying LD>> that I don't know much about occupational therapy, but from reading LD>> several Web pages about the history of occupational therapy and related LD>> disciplines put up by college students studying occupational therapy LD>> (like LD>> http://www.ceap.wcu.edu/hhp/students/JeffMansfield/archive/rthistory.html LD>> http://www.angelfire.com/ut/otpsych/history.html LD>> http://tiger.towson.edu/users/ptappe1/historyOT.htm LD>> I drew these conclusions: LD>> 1) Occupational therapy is rooted in efforts in the 1700s and 1800s to LD>> improve the well-being of mentally ill and infirm people. LD>> 2) These forerunners of modern-day occupational therapists tried to make LD>> the lives of the mentally ill and infirm more fulfilling by finding them LD>> activities to *occupy* their time and teaching them skills that would be LD>> useful in an *occupation*. LD>> 3) Nowadays, occupational therapy is concerned with rehabilitating LD>> sufferers of physical illness: injuries (often obtained at work--one's LD>> *occupation*), disabilities, and infirmity. (Perhaps the field of LD>> occupational therapy expanded in the US after soldiers returned from the LD>> first World War?) LD>> 4) Someone claimed on the Internet that George Edward Barton was the LD>> originator of the term "occupational therapy" LD>> (http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&th=61e953aaa46c2c35&rnum=1). LD>> I can't prove or disprove his assertion at the moment, LD>> but you may find the writing I linked to to be interesting reading. LD>> In any case, it seems to me that occupational therapy is called just LD>> that because of its focus on activity, compared to, say, physical LD>> therapy. A physical therapist would help a victim of a car accident LD>> regain muscle tone in his or her legs and the ability to walk, but an LD>> occupational therapist would teach the person how to climb a ladder, how LD>> to go up and down stairs, etc. LD>> I think one reason why occupational therapy remains unknown is that it LD>> is often confused with physical therapy. But as the population LD>> (especially the "baby boomer" segment) ages, knowledge of occupational LD>> therapy will probably spread, since more people will find themselves LD>> needing the services of occupational therapists. LD>> I hope I have been helpful. Thank you for writing to Merriam-Webster. LD>> Sincerely, LD>> Judy Yeh LD>> Assistant Editor LD>> Merriam-Webster, Inc. LD>> 47 Federal Street, P.O. Box 281 LD>> Springfield, MA 01102 LD>> Phone: 413-734-3134, ext. 133 LD>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] LD>> http://www.Merriam-Webster.com LD>> http://www.WordCentral.com LD>> http://www.merriam-websterunabridged.com LD>> http://www.merriam-webstercollegiate.com LD>> ==============End of original message text=========== LD>> _______________________________________________ LD>> To unsubscribe, visit: LD>> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com LD>> The OTnow Mail Archive: LD>> www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] LD>> =============================================== LD>> _______________________________________________ LD>> To unsubscribe, visit: LD>> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com LD>> The OTnow Mail Archive: LD>> www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> _______________________________________________ LD> To unsubscribe, visit: LD> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com LD> The OTnow Mail Archive: LD> www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> =============================================== LD> _______________________________________________ LD> To unsubscribe, visit: LD> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com LD> The OTnow Mail Archive: LD> www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, visit: http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com The OTnow Mail Archive: www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ===============================================
