Occupational Therapy

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Occupational Therapy

• Presented by
• Erin Walker erg.
• Royal Victoria Hospital

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What is Occupational Therapy?

• A health profession concerned with promoting
  health and well-being through occupation
• The primary goal of occupational therapy is to
  enable people to participate in the occupations
  which give meaning to their lives
• We work with people who are having problems with
  their daily occupations. Problems may result from
  a change in function (physical cognitive)
  because of illness or disability, and/or barriers
  in the social or and physical environment
• Client centered model

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OT evaluation
Environment
IADLs
ADLs

• -Meal preparation
• Housechores
• Finances
• Work
• Driving

• - Feeding
• Dressing
• Bathing
• Transfers

Physical status
Swallowing dysfunction
Cognitive status
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What do Occupational Therapists do?

• Evaluate people of all different ages, determine
  their personal needs, plan execute therapeutic
  interventions and assess the progress of the
  intervention
• We work with people who have health problems such
  as CVA, MI, TBI, SCI, arthritis, COPD, dementia,
  learning disabilities, etc.
• We use specialized skills to help patients
  relearn or find new ways to perform ADLs IADLs

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How is OT different from PT???

• PT is a health care profession aimed at
  evaluating, maintaining and restoring physical
  function
• OT is a health profession that looks at physical
  function too but in terms of how it affects your
  ability to perform ADLs IADLs
• Also, OTs are trained to assess and implement
  treatment plans with people who have cognitive
  deficits, Dysphagia mental health problems

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Many Career options for an OT!

• Hospital
• Rehabilitation center (inpatient outpatient)
• CLSC
• CHSLD
• Private clinics
• Mental Health
• Self employed
• Schools
• On road driving assessments
• Law-disability claims
• Advising on health risks in the workplace
• Manager, researcher, program developer or
  educator in addition to the direct delivery of
  professional services

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How to become an OT

• Graduate from an accredited university program
  with a Master's degree in OT (McGill University,
  University of Sherbrooke, University of Ottawa,
  University of Montreal)
• Successfully complete a minimum of 1000 hours of
  fieldwork education
• Successfully pass the certification examination
  administered by the Canadian Association of
  Occupational Therapists or meet provincial
  registration qualifications
• Maintain competency to practice based on
  provincial regulatory requirements (OEQ) OTs
  must be registered with their provincial
  regulatory organization in order to legally
  practice occupational therapy in Canada

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Post graduate education professional
development

• PhD in Rehabilitation Science
• Combine with another Masters degree or
  Certification (e.g. business/management,
  education, architecture, osteopathy, homeopathy
  etc.)
• Professional development courses required by the
  OEQ
• Supervisor of clinical placements
• In-services (workplace learning activities)

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How much can OTs

• Many OTs have found that an occupational therapy
  degree can provide them with many career choices
• Salary limitations are more common in public
  hospitals and rehab centers but occupational
  therapists in private practice can benefit from
  higher incomes
• Salaries vary from one province to another but a
  newly qualified occupational therapist can earn
  from 40,000 to 45,000

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Job availability

• Like most health care professionals we are in
  high demand
• In second and third year of study we got many job
  offers
• After graduating still many job offers

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What is the schedule like???

• For hospitals (MUHC) 8am to 4pm Monday to
  Friday, Weekends off as well as holidays. 4 Weeks
  vacation 9 sick days
• Rehabilitation centers /- same as hospitals
• CLSC more flexible hours
• Private clinic variable
• Self employed you make your own schedule

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A typical day for me at the RVH.

• 6 Medical Ross 5 (Vascular sx, Plastic sx
  Urology)
• My role evaluation of functional status,
  cognitive status and swallowing dysfunction
• Help with d/c planning need for inpatient or
  outpatient rehab setting, conval, home with CLSC
  help, modifications of their home environment,
  etc.
• While patient is at hospital we f/u

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A typical day for me at the RVH.

• Gather my new consults, find out about new d/c
  plans and then PRIORITIZE
• See my patients
• Discuss my patients with the multidisciplinary
  team (informal or in rounds)
• Document
• Communicate with rehab centers, family members,
  CHSLD, etc.
• Special projects
• Attend Grand rounds at lunch or other teaching
  activities

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What I enjoy most about working as an
occupational therapist

• Help patient to realize their goals client
  centered approach, building a rapport with the
  patients, learning from my patients
• Analyzing findings from evaluations
• Working with the multidisciplinary team
• Can be very exciting with many learning
  opportunity
• Autonomy availability of mentoring

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What I enjoy least about working as an
occupational therapist

• Can be stressful at times secondary to large case
  load staff shortages

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Thank you

• Any Questions????

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References

• http//www.caot.ca/
• http//www.mcgill.ca