whoa! I feel your pain. Its very hard to explain to others what we do as a profession. When anybody thinks about rehab PT is what comes to mind. I agree with you that in home care we should be the premier discipline. I feel that all of us OT's need to change people's perspective one at a time. Another reason why there are 5 PT's in your agency is in my opinion $$$$$. Everything revolves around money. If they are evaluating and putting people on program for more than what is needed then they will hire more therapist. There is a game that is being played, and some of us dont want to play it like that. Ron you give what is necessary and will d/c when you feel is appropriate. But your higher ups may see that as a negative if at the end of the day there is not a big profit from our discipline. I'm not saying that the PT's are not giving what is appropriate but its ovious that their loads are higher. I work full time in the school system here in NY, and the biggest thing coming from our supervisors is to cut down all our students.Even if they need it they want us to cut, cut,cut. A co worker of mine, does evals. She attended a meeting last year. The DOE held that meeting again and they made her go back to it, because over the summer she put on all the students she saw. Knowing this lady, i know that she put them on because they need it. But she is being punished for doing her job. That is what I mean, it's all about $$$$$. Sad to say that in the health care biz, which should be a caring biz, it's becoming just another money making machine. I came to the DOE because i wanted to get away from the negativity i saw in the LTC facility i worked at before. They did not care about my professional opinion. They wanted for me to meet the highest rug numbers as possible. I'm so confused as to what is my role here in the DOE. Ron give your inservice and do show them what you do and what other OT's should be doing. Good luck Juan
On 10/22/08, pat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ron, when I told my surgeon that I was an OT, he didn't mention upper > extremities at all. He said "Oh you're one of those people that does > stained glass." !!!!! This is a man who works just down the hall from > the OT dept in a military hospital. > > I told him that I couldn't speak for what other OTs do, but that I > personally do not do stained glass, or any crafts, with my patients. > (We do collages, but that's for part of the psych component of the > pain management program). > > Pat > > -----Original Message----- > >From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Sent: Oct 22, 2008 7:20 AM > >To: OTlist@OTnow.com > >Subject: [OTlist] We've Already Backed Oursleves Into a Corner! > > > >I am getting ready to do my first home health Medicare recert. While > >previewing the form, I notice the following outcome measures: > > > > * Dressing UB > > * Dressing LB > > * Bathing > > * Toileting > > * Transferring > > * Ambulation/Locomotion > > > >Honestly, my mouth just about hit the floor! In my HH facility, there > >are now about 5 full-time/prn therapists. This breaks down to 4 > >PTs/PTAs and 1 OT. Why in the world are there so many PT's and only 1 > >OT????. Why isn't OT the PREMIER home health discipline? > > > >My answers are really just a bunch of question: > > > > Isn't it because OT has already painted itself into this silly > > corner of focused treatment on the UE? > > > > Isn't it because OT lacks respect and understanding? > > > > Isn't it because in rehab, OT's stand or sit with their > > patients doing silly games with bean bags, balloons, pegs, > > cones, shoulder arcs, etc? > > > > Isn't it because our patients don't demand OT services? > > > > Isn't it because doctor's don't understand or respect our > > services? > > > > Isn't it because we've delegated functional mobility to the > > the PT's? > > > >There really is no one to blame but ourselves for this situation!!! > > > >You know, I'm going to give an inservice to the home health staff, but > >I'm NOT going to say this is what OT does or doesn't do. Instead, I'm > >going to say that this what *I*, as an OT, do. Why? Because I can't > >say this what my profession does when in reality it isn't. In fact, > >that's a HUGE problem for us! Our professional literature and ad > >campaigns say something and yet many of us do something totally > >different. Why? I don't know but I do know it's a HUGE white elephant > >that needs to be shot! > > > >Ron > >-- > >Ron Carson MHS, OT > > > > > >-- > >Options? > >www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > > >Archive? > >www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com > > > -- > Options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com > -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com
