Effective Occupational Therapy Practice - Essay Example

?Running head: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Occupational therapy Insert Insert Grade Insert May 18, Occupational therapy Introduction Individuals engage in various activities throughout their lifetime that enable them to derive the full level of satisfaction in life. They engage in social activities, economic activities and all the other processes that are of the service to the interest of the individuals and others in the society. By engaging in some occupation, an individual is able to interact positively with the environment. There are standards, roles, and meaning that an individual derives from the occupations that they engage in. These activities and processes that an individual performs through his or her life, in some context, can collectively be referred to as occupation. The individuals’ occupation will be defined within the societal culture and norms and thus are geared towards the collective development and wellbeing of the society. An individual’s occupation will determine his or her contribution towards the objectives of the society. In this context, occupation can be put into three categories depending on their purpose namely self-care, productivity, or leisure activities. There is need to ensure a good balance in these activities. Different activities will involve sequential interrelated tasks that collectively constitute an occupation. These tasks will need different skills- an individual’s abilities to carry out the activities that will reflect on his performance of the given occupation. These skills can be enhanced through constant practice by the individual. Other than the mental abilities and skills, an occupation will also involve other physical actions. It is important that an individual engage in activity that is not stressful and that provides little or no threats to his or her life. The occupation should be meaningful and of some value to an individual. However, there are factors that can prevent an individual from engaging in an occupation that is of some value to the individual and the society. Occupational therapy is a practice that involves promoting health and well-being of an individual by engaging the individuals in some occupations. The occupational therapists will identify the social, political, cultural, environmental, mental, and psychological and even the political factors that can impede an individual’s engagement in an occupation. Having identified these factors, an occupational therapist will take the appropriate initiative to enable the individual to participate in an activity. This practice has no boundary limit and borrows from other disciplines like psychology (Creek, 2003, p.7). The therapist may encourage the individual to engage in activities and processes that will eventually provide them with an opportunity to be engaged in some occupation. The therapist may also attempt to alter the environmental condition to promote the individual’s participation in some occupation. As a profession, occupational therapy has a number of core values and beliefs that become the guiding philosophy of the practice and that are behind its principles and procedures. Firstly, the practice of occupational therapy is humanistic and self-centered. The practice shows human concern and respects the human values. Secondly, the practice does not consider the individual aspects of human function but provides a holistic perspective to depict individuals as being unique and independent. The physical, spiritual, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects of human function are incorporated in occupational therapy practice. It is believed that every individual has his own ability. The difference that exists in the individual human values is also recognized in the practice. Besides, much value is attached to involvement in some occupational activity. Engagement in some occupation is regarded as a basic requirement that is essential for good health of the individual. The OT is supposed to provide the client with information, provide the necessary support, and create opportunities that can enable the clients to perform some activity to improve their health. There is also a belief on the adaptive nature of human in relation to the occupation. In this context, an individual’s occupation can be altered in response to the internal and external factors that prevail so that the individual’s needs are not neglected. The occupation can also be restructured so that it gains value and be meaningful to the individuals. There is a close relationship between these values and beliefs. It has been noted that the ‘humanistic philosophy of occupational therapy necessitates the application of holistic, person-centered principles and practice’ (Curtin et al, 2009, P.190). There are other values and beliefs attached to the OT practice. The social and physical environments that individuals live in can greatly influence the types of occupation they engage in. The occupational therapy practice also upholds the culture and personal identity of the client. In a decision making process, the client’s objective are given priority over that of the therapist. Aims of Occupational Therapy The occupational therapist studies the individual’s abilities and their interaction with the other factors and engages that individual in an occupational activity that is relevant in order to improve their well-being and to avoid their disability or inability. Thus, the overall aim of occupational therapy is summarized in Creek’s words: The main aim of occupational therapy is to maintain, restore, or create a match, beneficial to the individual, between the abilities of the person, the demands of her/his occupations and the demands of the environment, in order to maintain or improve the client’s functional status and access to opportunities for participation (Creek, 2003, p.14). The occupational therapy practice Core skills in occupational therapy As has been mentioned, the occupational therapists are concerned with illuminating the kind of relationship that is exhibited between occupation and an individual’s health. This ability to use occupation as a therapeutic tool in improving the health and well-being will require a number of core skills. One of the skills is assessment- the ability to assess the physical, psychological, and social aspects of human functions and identify what can bar an individual from participating in an occupation. The therapist will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an individual in relation to a given occupational activity and use the appropriate approach to correct the situation. Collaboration with the clients is another skill that is required of an occupational therapist. The therapists need to collaborate with their clients and provide the clients with the necessary and relevant information so that the clients make an informed decision. The needs of the clients or their interpretation of the problem should be given a preference in developing a solution to the problem. Before engaging the client in some occupation, the therapist needs to gather enough information from the clients. This can be achieved through a successful interview process. The normal procedures for interview will be applicable. Firstly, the therapist should develop some rapport with the clients and make the clients feel at ease. Then the therapist should administer the questions that are brief and relevant. He should ensure that the information that is obtained is accurately recorded to avoid making inferences from wrong data. This implies that other minor skills like communication skills, organizational skills, and time management are also required of a good occupational therapist. Modern research skills using information technology are also necessary for accurate data recording and management. The occupational therapists need also to have excellent problem solving techniques to enable them manage the different situations that will arise during the practice. They should be able to understand the diversity in the clients, the different problems that are likely to be encountered in different settings and the appropriate solutions to these problems. Adaptation to the environment will be a key process in occupational therapy. The therapist should be able to adapt to the environment before calling upon a client to adapt to a given environment as a way of deriving some meaning out of life. The practice will also involve working with groups of individuals with diversity in ages, mental and/or physical disabilities. The therapist is thus required to have leadership skills. These will enable him to plan organize and lead teams performing group activities Core processes in occupational therapy The practice of occupational therapy has processes that are all encompassed in the occupational therapy assessment. The whole process consists of a series of actions and interventions by the therapist through considering all the current situations and negotiating with the client on the next appropriate step to be adopted (Creek, 2003, p.8). These include the assessment of the individual abilities and needs, the environmental analysis and adaptation, and occupational analysis and adaptation (Hagedorn, 2000, p.60). Proper gathering of information will initiate the process effectively. Understanding the abilities of every individual in these groups will enable the therapists to identify the activities that they can engage in. An understanding of the interaction between these abilities and need of the individuals and the environment will help the therapist find how the clients can be made to adapt to the environment and to the requirements of the occupation. Core principles in occupational therapy There are principles that have been laid down in occupational therapy practice that defines the professional behaviors that are to be shown by the occupational therapist. Much of these principles trace their roots to the principles of ethics and their application to a profession. An adoption of the principles during practice will help the therapist in developing good relationship with the clients. Firstly, the therapist needs to manifest his feelings of concern with the client’s good health and well-being (Punwar & Peloquin, 2000, p.70). The occupation therapists are supposed to be competent enough and be able to provide their services uniformly. It is also required that the occupational therapist should provide the client with the right information regarding the practice (Punwar & Peloquin, 2000, p.70). Principles like integrity, justice, and diplomacy should guide the therapist during the practice. Besides, the rights of the clients as human beings should be observed by the OT’s during the practice. The therapist should also be able to relate well with the other colleagues (Punwar & Peloquin, 2000, p.70). The therapists are supposed to abide by the regulations that are governing the professional practice Ethics in Occupational Therapy practice Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves the analysis of the human action and behavior to determine which of the actions are right or wrong. Different individuals have different beliefs concerning what is right and what is wrong. This causes differences in the ethical theories and principles that have been developed. The skills that are necessary in occupational therapy can be developed through principles of ethical reasoning. The same are applicable in executing the occupational therapy processes and abiding by the principles that are required in the profession. Making an informed professional judgment will require the ethical reasoning as well as the legal provisions that are provided concerning the practice. Actions that follow an irrational and unethical decision-making process may be hazardous to the client as well as the therapist. In the professional practice, the occupational therapists apply ethical principles in a number of ways. Through the principles of ethical reasoning, the occupational therapists empower the clients and believe that the clients should be allowed to make a choice. They also believe in providing the clients with proper information so that they make informed decisions. Ethics also enables the occupational therapists to understand the clients’ needs to be independent and be self-determined when making any decision that is to affect his or her life. Working collaboratively with the clients is one of the skills that are required of an occupational therapist. An application of ethical principles will enable the OT and the client to find a way of understanding a situation and taking the necessary corrective measure How these and the theoretical framework may inform and guide current practice in different settings as the one described The environmental, social, political, and psychological conditions like the ones that have been considered can influence the behavior of individuals and eventually pose threat to their health. The inmates that are serving different sentences have different abilities and competences that can be cultivated for the benefit of all. While serving their sentences, the inmates have a feeling of hatred and sees life as humiliating. Their idleness significantly contributes to their resolution to drug abuse and alcoholism that pose challenge to their health. This engagement in drug abuse will not only pose threat to their health but will also influence their behavior. They will be in a position to influence others as well. An occupational therapist will perform some assessment, share ideas, and views with the inmates and identify their strengths and weakness. The OT will then be able to engage them in activity that can provide them with some sense of accomplishment of task. The environmental factors are likely to be the cause of the drug addicts who are now showing different social behaviors. An OT will apply cognitive and behavioral approach to help these clients identify what they can do best and engage them in such occupation. An understanding of the environment in which the clients were bought up will be a good guide towards identifying the individual abilities. The social group that one associates with is also responsible for such behaviors. The OT will take note of the effects of the peer influence that could have been the causative factor and provide a remedy to such purposeless social groups. The refugees and the homeless individuals currently have psychological problems that stem from other factors like the political rivalry that might have hit some area. Poor climatic conditions could also be a factor that led to their situation. The identification of such factors will assist the therapist in the assessment process and in pushing the clients to adapt to the environment and the occupation that they are to be engaged in. The assessment process The assessment process will be the fundamental process through which the occupational needs of the above individuals will be met. The process starts with the first encounter with the clients and continues after the client has been engaged in some occupation. The individuals that have been described in the above cases have different problems all of which can be managed through engaging them in some activity. The assessment process will have three initial steps. Firstly, the therapist should examine the behavior of the clients in relation to all the aspects of the human function and evaluate such behaviors. The therapist should then record the information and make a conclusion regarding the level of the client in these human functions. This shall be taken to be the clients’ ability and their level of motivation. Several aspects need to be assessed in order to conclude the clients’ individual ability and motivation. The therapist should examine the client’s personal management ability. The therapist should look into the client’s ability take care of himself and manage his affairs and personal belongings. How the individual puts on and how he carries out other activities such as washing will provide an insight into the individual’s personal management ability. The therapist should also consider the individual’s social ability. The above-mentioned cases involve groups of individuals from different cultures but with some common problems. The social interaction that is observed among the individuals in this diverse environment will enable the therapist learn ones ability to socialize. The client’s ability to form associations, make friends with these strangers, and develop a meaningful relationship is a good measure of the social ability of the individual. The social norms that are shown by the individuals will also be a good measure of their ability in socializing. The individual’s management of time should also be examined. How constructive one uses his time can provide an information on his time management ability. A proper time management will involve a good balance between the self-care, productive, and the leisure activities. Having engaged the clients in some occupation, the therapist will proceed to assess the individuals’ work ability. While performing the activities, the therapist should examine a client’s ability to interact with the work environment, fellow workers, and the materials. The client’s ability to develop new ideas while carrying out the activity should be considered. The therapist needs also to consider the client’s ability to work with little or no supervision. He should consider how the client plans to carry out the activity and he deals with the workload and accomplishes the given tasks in time. Besides, the client should be in a position to evaluate the quality of his performance against the standards that he had set and make some realistic judgment in relation to his worth. The therapist should also consider how the client reacts when faced with different situations to work. The way he responds to routine tasks, how he manages challenging tasks and his attitudes towards the given activity will show his work ability. The core skills, concepts and framework and the values and beliefs of the profession The theoretical framework in occupational therapy is governed by the frames of reference (FoR) of the occupational behaviors of the clients. The models developed from this concept consider the holistic human nature that is valued in the occupational therapy practice. The models consider individuals as being unique and diverse in different aspects of human function. They also emphasize the need of man to engage in an occupation and adapt to the environment. A good balance between the occupational activities is also emphasized by these models. An effective occupational therapy practice will be guided by occupational performance models. These social or psychosocial models will enable an occupational therapist to identify the disabilities in different individuals. Application of the values and beliefs of occupational therapy enables the therapists to develop a frame of reference through which they can learn the views of the clients. The frame of reference will influence communication between the therapist and their clients that is required in the practice. The therapist will then find a good approach in intervening and assisting these groups of individuals to attain behavioral change that is required. The occupational performance models can take two forms. Some of the occupational performance models are theory driven whereas others are process driven. In the theory driven occupational models, the client is viewed from a certain perspective. The assessment is performed using the procedures that are within the model. The theory driven pattern has the advantage that the reasoning is made simple and the practice can be performed faster. It also ensures a proper balance between actions. However, it has the disadvantage that what is beyond the theory is not covered and that the concept cannot be extended to other clients. On the other hand, the process-driven models give a planned occupational therapy process that enables reasoning. It involves a more integrative system that identifies a particular problem and develops an approach that can go beyond the problem. It has the advantage of this flexibility. However, it requires highly flexibility among the occupational therapists and the whole process is generally slow. Conclusion The intervention of the occupational therapist in the above cases has benefits to the affected individuals. The clients will be able to attain life satisfaction through a balance of occupations. There shall be a balance between self-care, productivity, and leisure activities. This balance ensures that the individual carries out all the human functions that are necessary for healthy growth. It will thus promote recovery, good health, well-being, and social participation among these stressed groups of individuals. The assistance of the occupational therapist helps the clients to identify their abilities and skills and the right activity that they can be engaged in. In particular, an effective occupational therapy practice will ensure that an individual is engaged in an occupation that meets his needs and the needs of the society. A feeling of engaging in activity that is acceptable in the society will provide that psychological relief that is essential for good health and well-being. Besides, the individuals who have some disabilities and needs will be identified and the necessary measures taken. They can be provided with devices that can enable them to perform the activities The individuals will be provided with the skills in self-care, productivity, and leisure in a balanced manner. With the occupational balance, the individuals will be able improve their occupational performance and the ability to adapt to the environment and the occupations. Good performance in productive occupational activities ensure that the needs of the individuals are met that are necessary for good health. References Creek, J., 2003. Occupational Therapy Defined as a Complex Intervention. London: COT. (Online). Available from: http://www.cot.co.uk/Mainwebsite/Resources/Document/OTDefined.pdf (accessed May 19, 2011). Curtin, M. et al. 2009. Occupational Therapy and Physical Dysfunction: Enabling Occupation. London: Churchill-Livingston Hagedorn, R., 2000. Tools for practice in occupational therapy: a structured approach to core skills and processes. London: Elsevier Health Sciences Punwar, A. and Peloquin, S., 2000. Occupational therapy: principles and practice. Third ed. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Read More