I sort of struggle to understand how OT's who set up patients on simple, redundant and often inappropriate activities are not "bad". I understand the productivity push, but I don't understand being so lazy that the best a therapist can do is clothespins, pegs, etc.
And I don't think it's that so many OT's are physically lazy as they are mentally lazy. OT's have allowed themselves to be backed into a corner of meaningless and silly activity that is often more diversional than therapeutic. It seems that some OT's are quite comfortable in the back seat of the rehab. In my opinion, these OT's should be ashamed of their practice patterns. Ron -- Ron Carson MHS, OT ----- Original Message ----- From: Deann Bayerl, MS OTR/l <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 28, 2008 To: otlist@otnow.com <otlist@otnow.com> Subj: [OTlist] AARGH! DBMOl> Ron, DBMOl> I do understand your frustration, even more so from having spent some time DBMOl> in IP rehab. Here are two of the problems outside of lack of DBMOl> creativity....productivity and required IP pt rehab hours. Although I DBMOl> preferred to work with pts on ADLs in the am, b/c they were the most DBMOl> relevant, some of those pts had to be down to pt at an early hour & you just DBMOl> can't get to all of them (although you CAN shift your schedule around from DBMOl> day to day, but in my experience this was not often done). Thus the next DBMOl> part of the day was often working with pts in the rehab room, where there DBMOl> was a considerable push for working with more than one pt at a time. DBMOl> Instead of working with them together, they were often set up a separate DBMOl> 'stations' and given a task that they could do without 1:1...thus the DBMOl> towels, clothespins, bead sorting, etc. It takes thinking outside the box to DBMOl> set up a session that is both meaningful and therapeutic; which is often not DBMOl> the case on a day to day basis. It's not that these are not good OT/OTAs, DBMOl> they just are not creative. I've seen this in OT and I also saw this for DBMOl> many years in my previous profession as a teacher. There are those truly DBMOl> dedicated to the profession and those that see it as a job that pays the DBMOl> bills. No matter where you work, there will be people of both types. The DBMOl> best we can do is be the former and put in the extra effort to provide DBMOl> meaningful therapies and explain to our clients why and how the particular DBMOl> activities we choose are therapeutic and pivotal to OT. DBMOl> d DBMOl> -----Original Message----- DBMOl> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DBMOl> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf DBMOl> Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] DBMOl> Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2008 3:00 PM DBMOl> To: otlist@otnow.com DBMOl> Subject: OTlist Digest, Vol 48, Issue 2 DBMOl> Send OTlist mailing list submissions to DBMOl> otlist@otnow.com DBMOl> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit DBMOl> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com DBMOl> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to DBMOl> [EMAIL PROTECTED] DBMOl> You can reach the person managing the list at DBMOl> [EMAIL PROTECTED] DBMOl> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific DBMOl> than "Re: Contents of OTlist digest..." DBMOl> Today's Topics: DBMOl> 1. AARGH! (Ron Carson) DBMOl> 2. Re: AARGH! (Lehman, David) DBMOl> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DBMOl> Message: 1 DBMOl> Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:37:53 -0500 DBMOl> From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DBMOl> Subject: [OTlist] AARGH! DBMOl> To: OTlist@OTnow.com DBMOl> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DBMOl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 DBMOl> I evaluated a home health patient who was just out of rehab secondary DBMOl> to a total hip replacement. This is a 55 y/o who was previously DBMOl> independent. DBMOl> During the eval, I asked her if she receive OT in rehab. She rolled DBMOl> her eyes and explained that the OT's had her folding towels at a table DBMOl> and standing at a table playing cards. DBMOl> I will NEVER, EVER understand why so many OT's have client's doing DBMOl> essentially meaningless activity when there are so many other NEEDS DBMOl> and DESIRES. DBMOl> Why do OT's stand with patients at a table playing cards? It makes NO DBMOl> sense because it's contextually incorrect. Who plays cards standing? DBMOl> And why will OT's stand with patients but won't take the initiative to DBMOl> address mobility issues such as getting clothes from the closet, DBMOl> ambulating to the toilet, etc? DBMOl> On that happy note <smile>, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! DBMOl> Ron -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com
