If I agreed with everything everyone said on this forum, I would not be on it. It would be boring. I am just a student right now and I am learning a lot about the profession from reading these posts. I don't feel qualified to really contribute in the ways that some on here have done because I do not have the experience yet. I want to know what frustrations I may encounter out there in the real world. It is beginning to occur to me that we have to fight for our profession. There are many influences out there from other practice areas that may threaten OT as we know it today. Debate is a good thing. If you disagree with something, post specifically why you disasgree. Then we all learn.
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Ron Carson Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 06:44 To: Dawson Subject: Re: [OTlist] Arrgh! SNF OTs on the hot seat! Dawson, thanks for your comments. The OTlist has been around for a long time. One thing is for sure, the nature of the discussions, the tone of the topics and the passion for change is not for everyone. You said you joined the list to: ...read what practicing OTs are talking about, up to, and perhaps even learn something; possibly even get some encouragement for the big step I am about to take. You ARE reading about what practicing OT's are talking about, you ARE learning something. And, while you may not be encouraged by some of the topics, these issues are real world. EVERY profession faces challenges and in my opinion OT needs to have members who voice their opinion and are willing to take a stand. In fact, your message says to me that you are one of these types of people!!! Ron -- Ron Carson MHS, OT ----- Original Message ----- From: Dawson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 To: OTlist@otnow.com <OTlist@otnow.com> Subj: [OTlist] Arrgh! SNF OTs on the hot seat! D> Welcome Barb, D> so it has been very painful to read the extremely judgemental discussion >> about "bad" treatment D> I have to agree with you, I find this painful on a weekly basis >> please don't let mine or anyone else's negativity adversely affect what >> you do >> D> It's very difficult sometimes not to. D> As someone who is about to start their BSC (Hons) in OT, I originally D> thought it would be a good idea to join the list and read what practicing D> OTs are talking about, up to, and perhaps even learn something; possibly D> even get some encouragement for the big step I am about to take. This is not D> the case, in fact, I couldn't feel less encouraged or more negative about D> the how occupation now if I tried. D> Dawson D> 2008/12/4 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> I am a recently recertified COTA who has just started a new position >> working in an SNF. My prior experience was PRIOR to PPS. Whew! What a >> change! I whole-heartedly agree with Brent's post. I am trying my best to >> provide skilled treatment, but PPS and productivity standards set by the >> for-profit sector make that difficult. I joined this list to get more ideas >> about functional/meaningful activities to do with my patients, so it has >> been very painful to read the extremely judgemental discussion about "bad" >> treatment! I already feel uncomfortable with some of the choices I have to >> make each day. I am hoping that as I learn to juggle better, I will be able >> to provide a higher percentage of meaningful tx. So I would appreciate any >> and all concrete suggestions from those who work in a similar environment, >> and less of the judgement based on uninformed assumptions. >> Thank you. >> Barb Howard >> Grand Rapids, MI >> >> -------------- Original message -------------- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> > Brent, >> > I believe the criticism originally came from Ron in regards to a >> therapist in a >> > rehab hospital.? We?can all be?guilty of poor rehab at times no matter >> what >> > practice setting.? I responded to warn people of potential fraud that >> therapists >> > might be committing and not even realizing it. >> > >> > Chris Nahrwold MS, OTR >> > >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: Brent Cheyne >> > To: Ron Carson >> > Sent: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 6:40 pm >> > Subject: Re: [OTlist] Arrgh! SNF OTs on the hot seat! >> > >> > >> > >> > ??? Some further thoughts on OT?practice in the?SNF. However critical and >> > disappointed some of us who don't work in SNF feel about the pracitices >> of those >> > who do, keep in mind that each practice setting has its own unique >> challenges >> > and limitations. >> > ??? The PPS system has the RUG system where the highest reinbursment is >> for >> > those patient who participate in as much as 360 minutes of OT a week.. >> That's? 6 >> > days of 60 minute sessions, so if a person stays for a month they receive >> 24 >> > hours (?1440 minutes) of OT in a month. And this process is multiplied >> got?each >> > OT practitioner?by a caseload (lets say for average) 7 patients per >> day.?Each >> > minute of each session is structured and guided by the therapist while >> > navigating a complex system of all the other therapies, nursing care, and >> > scheduling taking place?within the facility. >> > ??? This means there is a lot of therapy? being provided and?therefore a >> lot of >> > designing and implementing and documenting interventions. Making every? >> minute >> > of every session wonderful, meaningful, enjoyable, and occupational is >> quite a >> > challenge. I venture to predict that rehab professional in SNF spend more >> time >> > with their clients than any other professionals in the whole healthcare >> system! >> > Other posts on this list have also observed that the SNF rehab client is >> not >> > always the most motivated of clients either and clients are often unable >> to >> > identify meaningful occupations on which to base treatments. >> > ???? Due to reasons explained previously in my other recent post, and the >> > factors above, some patients might have incidences of "bad OT".? Given >> the shear >> > abount of time spent in treatment, the odds of having some >> non-meaningful?or bad >> > experiences are? pretty high. >> > ???? I think any of us can identify unsatisfactory experiences with >> healthcare >> > and other professionals on occasion. I personally have had?occasional >> > frustration and disappointment?at the dentist, doctor, optometrist, or >> even with >> > the waiter at a restaurant. I think on average there are a lot of hard >> working >> > OTs >> > in SNF doing a great job! Of course we always hear about the worst and >> best >> > therapy experiences that people have. >> > ? While all the criticism, judgement and discussion ongoing in the OT >> community >> > may be necessary to encourage us to focus on occupation, there is no >> shortage of >> > equal scrutiny by our administrations and regulators who have there own >> > definition of what expected and required of OTs. Keeping everyone >> satisfied in >> > no easy task and I think "bad OT "is more a function of being overwhelmed >> than >> > being lazy. Let us find a way to support and encourage eachother! >> > Brent C >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > 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 >> -- 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
