Monday, January 28, 2013

Occupational Therapy: Geriatric Specialization

GERIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 
 
For the next few weeks of my open blog posts, I would like to look further into four specialized areas of occupational therapy: Geriatric, pediatric, mental health, and physical rehabilitation. I will dedicate each week to discovering more in detail what each area of specialization has to offer. For this week, I have chosen to dig deeper into geriatric occupational therapy. The goal of a geriatric occupational therapist is to help their elderly patients be able to maintain the most independent life that they can, for as long as they can. Most elderly patients would love to stay in their home as long as possible and occupational therapy can help them to do so. Occupational therapy is very affective with geriatrics because not only do therapists help their patients, but they also counsel the patients' community (family, neighbors, friends, etc...) to ensure that they are doing what they can to help the elderly stay independent.The most common conditions that geriatric OTs work with involve arthritis, strokes, body replacements of the hip and knee, dementia, depression, and many other conditions. They work to prevent these conditions, or care for them if they are already there. They also help the elderly with daily activities that are required in order to live independently such as bathing, dressing, eating, laundry, shopping, and many other daily activities. And finally, they help to provide activities for their patients to avoid having them slip into social isolation from others. OTs encourage new social activities that are mind-stimulating to avoid this and also dementia.

After researching this topic, I have found that there are so many beneficial aspects of geriatric occupational therapy. I have a certain soft spot for older people, and I believe (especially after learning in detail how much geriatric therapy helps) that helping an elderly person be able to live the best life that they can and feel like they can still take care of themselves would be such a rewarding feeling.

WORKS CITED
Susan Berg. "Geriatric Care & Occupational Therapy." eHOW. N.p. Web. 28 January 2013.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Mary Reilly: OT Legend


MARY REILLY: OT LEGEND 
While looking for a biography or memoir of an OT, I stumbled upon Mary Reilly, who seemed to have a very big impact on the world of occupational therapy. In 1937, Mary Reilly attended Boston School of Occupational Therapy and received her certificate in 1940. Some of her many life accomplishments include serving as director of occupational therapy in Detroit at the Sigma Gamma Hospital School, becoming a Captain in the US Army Medical Specialists serving as a civilian therapist, attending USC and UCLA to further her schooling in occupational therapy and education, and many more. After receiving her own education, Dr. Reilly later redesigned USC's master program for occupational therapy using her own philosophical and theoretical knowledge and ideas instead of just using technical skills, and became the head of the department. Mary Reilly reshaped the way people studied occupational therapy forever.

Read the full bio here!

RHETORICAL ELEMENTS ADDING EMPHASIS
There were many rhetorical elements that helps to emphasize Mary Reilly's success and other aspects of the field. First off, the title "Mary Reilly: Remembering a True Legend" is interesting and introduces the point of the paper immediately: Mary Reilly was a very successful person. But why? The first paragraph then explains more thoroughly the point of the paper: Mary Reilly was very successful in the occupational therapy world, and it sums up her life in a way that makes you want to continue reading to learn more about her life's work. It is structured in a chronological way that emphasizes her growth in her career, and reflects on her life showing what all of her contributions meant to the world of occupational therapy.


WORKS CITED
"Mary Reilly: Remembering a True Hero." AOTA. N.p, 30 March 2012. Web. 25 January 2013.

"1968- Mary Reilly and Occupational Behavior." 24 September 2010. Photograph. Flickr.com. Web. 25 January 2013.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Occupational Therapy vs. Speech and Physical Therapy



OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY VS. SPEECH AND PHYSICAL THERAPY
 
For the first open blog of this semester, I thought I would start out by looking at some statistics of occupational therapy compared to the related careers: speech and physical therapy. I Found a great article that summed it up very well for me. Thought it is not the most recent information (January 26, 2011), I believe it still shows the relationship between the three different fields of work. Overall, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-2011 edition),  Physical Therapy holds the highest amount of jobs out of the three with 185,500 jobs in 2008, along with the highest median annual salary of $72,790. However, there are probably more PT jobs then actual practicing PT's because many of them work part time in multiple settings at one time. Occupational Therapy follows with 104,500 jobs and a salary of $66,780. The majority of OT's worked in hospitals, public or private schools, nursing facilities, and other healthcare practitioner's offices', and depending on which setting you work in, the salary can vary. Finally is speech therapy with 119,000 jobs and a salary of $62,930.

I was very interested in how these three careers compared to each other and lets be honest, who isn't interested in learning what their salary could be in the future. But, being mostly interested in occupational therapy, I am very curious to see how these numbers will change in the years to follow until I hopefully will be looking for a job in this field. Hopefully they will go in my favor! 




WORKS CITED
"Some Interesting Facts about Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists." Centra Healthcare Solutions N.p, 26 January 2011. Web. 22 January 2013. 

"Average Annual Salary for Occupational Therapists." Chart. Web. 22 January 2013

Friday, January 18, 2013

Occupational Therapy in Popular Culture

 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN POPULAR CULTURE

After hearing that our objective for this week's post was to find a portrayal of our chosen career in popular culture, my first thought was immediately "uh-oh." However, it didn't take me long to find what looks like a very interesting movie that is related to Occupational Therapy. Although I wasn't able to watch the entire film, I was able to find summaries and trailers to get an idea of what it might be like. "The Intouchables" is a French movie based on a true story about a millionaire, Phillippe Borgo, who becomes a quadriplegic after a tragic paragliding accident and is in need of a live-in caretaker. A young, African American/Muslim ex-convict, Driss, was one of the many people being interviewed for the job. Having had no intentions of being hired, and only wanting a paper signed that said he was looking for a job and was rejected in order to keep receiving unemployment benefits, he was surprised to find that he got the job. Driss learns the extent of Borgo's disability and spends every moment by his side as his occupational therapist, psychologist, matchmaker, and many other roles. Together they bring excitement, meaning, and love back into Borgo's life.

If you'd like to watch the trailer, check it out here! > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34WIbmXkewU 

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE

In Occupational Therapy, it isn't surprising that their language consists mostly of medical terminology. First there is the obvious abbreviation OT, which stands for occupational therapy, and live-in carer which was used in "The Intouchables." There are also many other terms that pretty much mean the same thing in any medical field. But then, there are simple words that may not be specific to the world of occupational therapy, but I find they have a totally different meaning to therapists and patients in the field. Words like "Free." What does "free" mean to an average American?  Maybe being able to buy a home, get a job, and live the life that they want for themselves. For an occupational therapist, helping a patient feel free might mean teaching them to walk again, or just be able to feed themselves once more. In "The Intouchables," Driss helps Phillippe Borgo feel free again simply by treating him as if he was a normal person and not showing any pity towards him. They also use the word self-care, something Borgo could no longer do for himself. To a healthy American, the ability to care for themselves might be something they take for granted or wish someone else could do for them. I know I wake up in the morning wishing someone could dress me, feed  me, do my hair and make-up, and carry me to class. But, for someone like Phillippe Borgo, being able to care for himself again might be his biggest dream. So, while they may not be words specific to OT's, they certainly bring about a whole new meaning when dealing with a person in need.



WORKS CITED 

"What Can A Movie Teach Us About Occupational Therapy?" Centra Healthcare Solutions. N.p, 29 June 2012. Web. 18 January 2013.

"The Intouchables." IMBd. N.p, 17 January 2013. Web. 18 January 2013.

Monday, January 14, 2013

About Me/My Relationship with Writing

ABOUT ME
Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog! So, just a little background information about myself: My name is Jamie Seppanen, I'm currently a freshman at Michigan State University, and I am majoring in Kinesiology. I've always enjoyed math and science in school and I've loved sports all my life, so Kinesiology fits my interests pretty well. Blogging is not typically something I would considering doing and the reason I am writing this blog is because it is a writing assignment for my WRA 150 class. However, I am actually very glad that this is something I am required to do, because although I'm sure about KIN, I am not sure what career path I want to follow after I complete my undergraduate degree.I have been considering Occupational Therapy and would like to explore the career more, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Throughout this blog I will attempt to expand my knowledge, and yours, of the world of occupational therapy. I will learn and share with you all of the different pathways this career can take you, and the many benefits that can come from being an OT.  
MYSELF AS A WRITER
Although I am writing this bog, I have to admit that writing and I have never exactly been friends. I’m not a very creative thinker, and I have a hard time getting my thoughts to translate to my work in a well-thought out, organized way. Also, being more of a math and science type of girl, I am just not very interested in the subject, which sometimes comes across in my work. My goal through this class and writing this blog is to find a way to make writing come easier and to be able to be excited about writing instead dreading it. I will do my best to write interesting entries that you will enjoy reading, but I'll admit that I need some improvement, so please bear with me here as I polish my writing skills! I hope my blog is something you will come to find both enjoyable and informative!