Great post Brent, thanks. I've also noticed that people have actual trouble saying "occupational". Maybe it's just because it's an uncommon word!
Ron -- Ron Carson MHS, OT ----- Original Message ----- From: Brent Cheyne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 To: otlist@otnow.com <otlist@otnow.com> Subj: [OTlist] Difficulty Articulating Occupational BC> Ron, BC> My clients and their families often wonder what is Occupational BC> Therapy (?), and in my practice at a SNF, the main issue for the BC> geriatric patients is getting back home...whatever it takes. So I BC> try to explain from the very start that Occupation all things BC> people want or need to get back to doing, and the Therapy is all BC> the things that need to be done to make that happen. Educating the BC> client that the interventions will be very functionally based and BC> based on every-day tasks need to begin early and repeated often. BC> BC> My Subacute Rehab clients want to know what is in it for them... BC> and to use a business term, they need to be marketed to, like a BC> coach or consultant. They need a good sales pitch! A great BC> percentage of my clientele, and their families,are becoming BC> increasingly savy and sophisicated, goal-directed, and often do BC> not tolerate any interventions that seem like a waste of time. BC> This fact is welcome because it often makes treatment effective, BC> effecient, and meaningful. The key is to get off to a good start, BC> reach a common understanding, and meet Occupational needs by being BC> relevant to the client. It is client-centered practice and does BC> require a great degree of effort and skill. BC> BC> In our department we have a display board that show pictures of BC> former clients in OT doing Occupation- based tasks, cooking , BC> shopping, laundry, using adaptive equipment, etc.. in our BC> department environment. This board is used to show touring BC> visitors, and newlly admitted clients examples of what can be BC> addressed in OT..."a picture (board) is worth 1000 words" This BC> often helps especially with families who realize these areas will need to be addressed. BC> BC> But there are a certain percentage of my clients that don't get BC> the concept of Occupational Therapy because of a history of bad BC> experiences with OT, or have observed others having a bad BC> experience...doing unwanted, meaningless, sometime mudane tasks. BC> They also have a concept of all therapy solely involving exercises BC> and walking. This perception is hard to overcome if the persons BC> mindset has be reinforced from other facillity staff and bad BC> history. People even refuse to perform needed Occupation-based relevant and meaningful tasks BC> prior to discharge due to their resistance, fear, and denial. BC> They often assume things will be "just fine when they get home". BC> Theses clients require a lot of work and skill to motivate, BC> engage, and connect with. It really can be what I call a public relations challenge. BC> BC> Additionally, there are the folks who have a very passive BC> mindset, and wish to be simply want to fixed by therapy without BC> any personal goals,effort, or planning. THese patients often can't BC> identify Occupation in their life because, upon detailed BC> examination, their lives are devoid of much Occupation as a result BC> of chromic disease or social deprivation. Here the challenge is BC> again to motivate, engage and connect, and make an relevant BC> impact where possible to get that client in the best situation to BC> maximize the opportunity for a good quality of life. Theses are BC> usually your nursing home residents and they require a great deal BC> of skill and perserverence to adequately serve as a therapist. BC> BC> So the "Public Relations Challenge" faced by OTs requires a BC> consistent overall effort to first understand peoples needs....and BC> then be understood through education and communication. This is BC> hard work in a demanding productivity-driven work place. It helps BC> to have a department of likeminded energetic OTs. Otherwise, it's BC> often tempting to just pass out a peg board and some cones and go BC> finish my charting. But that onlly leads to further professional grief! BC> BC> "I'm just a boy whose intentions are good......Oh BC> Lord.. Please don't let me be misunderstood..." The Animals .......somewhere fromthe 1960s BC> (LOL) BC> Thanks for listening, BC> Brent Cheyne OTR/L BC> Sarsota BC> BC> --- On Sat, 8/30/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] BC> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: BC> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> BC> Subject: OTlist Digest, Vol 41, Issue 19 BC> To: otlist@otnow.com BC> Date: Saturday, August 30, 2008, 3:00 PM BC> Send OTlist mailing list submissions to BC> otlist@otnow.com BC> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit BC> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com BC> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to BC> [EMAIL PROTECTED] BC> You can reach the person managing the list at BC> [EMAIL PROTECTED] BC> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific BC> than "Re: Contents of OTlist digest..." BC> Today's Topics: BC> 1. Difficulty Articulating OT (Ron Carson) BC> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BC> Message: 1 BC> Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:06:32 -0400 BC> From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> BC> Subject: [OTlist] Difficulty Articulating OT BC> To: OTlist <OTlist@OTnow.com> BC> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> BC> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 BC> Has anyone noticed that people have difficulty articulating the word BC> "occupational"? BC> Just today, a patient's husband had difficulty saying the word. And, I BC> noticed it with other people as well, even with health care providers. BC> Anyone else? BC> Ron BC> -- BC> Ron Carson MHS, OT BC> ------------------------------ BC> -- BC> Unsubscribe? BC> [EMAIL PROTECTED] BC> Change options? BC> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com BC> Archive? BC> www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com BC> Help? BC> [EMAIL PROTECTED] BC> End of OTlist Digest, Vol 41, Issue 19 BC> ************************************** BC> -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com
