Levels of Prevention and Health Literacy

Public health is not really my stronghold, probably because I don’t know much about it and all that it entails, but Dr. Flick explained and clarified some terms that are good to know especially because they are so pertinent to occupational therapy and the types of interventions that we determine to use for clients depending on their situations. First, she explained that prevention also means intervention in our field which makes sense. I just always used prevention as part of the definition in intervention instead of using the words interchangeably. So, Dr. Flick said there are three different levels of prevention/intervention which are primary, secondary, and tertiary. The primary level of prevention is catching something before it happens whether it be a disease or a possible injury. For instance, she said that some companies have organizations in place because they know the environment is a little risky. Secondary prevention is when a disease or injury is being detected like a breast cancer screening or another big one is developmental screenings for young children. Finally, tertiary prevention is when something has already happened like a stroke or some kind of traumatic injury or impactful disease. At this point, we would just be there to improve their quality of life by preventing long term effects from whatever medical devastation that has happened to them like preventing falls, or contractures, etc. I feel like I somehow knew this information but did not know the terms that were linked with them, so I feel as though I know the information better now that I have listened to Dr. Flick’s lecture. Also, she explained health literacy is dependent on several things. Not only does it mean to have a good understanding of basic health information needed to make appropriate decisions, but it is dependent on the way we communicate, cultural relativity of our clients, and their situational contexts.   

What about outside intervention?!

 Any time I think of a therapy session, I automatically think, okay... I am about to sit in a room for an hour or so and do some activities that the therapist says to do and go about my day. But wait. What if someone made it a little more interesting and engaging… what about the idea of conducting the intervention outside in nature itself? I personally think this is a great idea and a great way for extra motivation during a therapy session. Of course, I was not the one to come up with this idea. I listened to a podcast by Amy Seymore (2017), and she explained not only the idea of “nature-based therapy”, but the importance of it and how it has such a positive impact on clients, especially in pediatrics.

For me, even as an adult, I would much rather be outside and enjoying nature, so I really love the kind of intervention that Amy Seymore practices. She explains that using the things that we use outside, promotes realistic results because it is not simulated in the same ways it would be inside the clinic. For kids, it also promotes motivation especially when asking the right questions during intervention and guiding them through appropriate and effective activities. Amy also said that this specific therapy benefits kids with sensory processing disorders and attention deficit disorders which I thought was interesting because it almost seems like a tailor-made intervention which is what OT’s always keep in mind. Using branches, streams, mud piles, sticks, rocks, and the plethora of objects that are in nature are great, tangible resources for building sensory skills. Using this kind of therapy still tests all the same things as it would inside the clinic but uses a different environmental stimulus and physical context. As a future OT practitioner, I am definitely going to keep this practice in mind.

Resource

Seymore, A. (Host). (2017, September 10). Nature-Based Therapy [Audio podcast episode]. In Glass Half Full. Sofo Studios. https://glasshalffullot.com/podcast/nature-based-therapy/

What Do You Meme?!

I honestly couldn't choose which meme to upload, So I did both! I hope you get a kick out of these!

Every Day Life and Relationships Built

Has there ever been a time where you have taken something for granted? Something so simple that you never even thought twice about because it was just apart of your daily routine instead of the specific plans you made for that day like brushing your teeth, eating, going to the bathroom, getting dressed, etc. I think these every day activities that are apart of your routine are considered to be apart of this "blissful ordinariness" term used in our textbook (O'Brien & Hussey, 2017). I imagine that if I lost the ability to perform these tasks, or could not perform them independently or just as well as I did before injury or illness, it would throw off my sense of normalcy in my daily routine. even though these things seem small, they are very big components to a person's quality of life, and independent self sufficient life.

This relates to the therapeutic relationship and holistic approach because we do not just focus on one thing. There is active listening involved to understand what the client is experiencing not only with their illness/injury, but how that is impacting their life socially, emotionally, mentally, and physically. it is not only the "what" but the "how". Also, empathy plays a role in this relationship on top of what was previously mentioned. We want to know what is wrong, HOW that is affecting them, and with active listening.. we can and want to connect through empathy and create an open line of communication which builds trust in the therapeutic relationship. Keeping in mind that there always has to be practicing professionalism intertwined in it all.

Reference

O’Brien, J. C. & Hussey, S. M. (2017). Introduction to occupational therapy(5thed.).St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc.

Envisioning the Vision

Along this journey, I have made goals of where I would like to be and where I want to end up as a future OT practitioner. I was told once that right after grad school that a hospital setting would utilize most of my knowledge. After being in class and hearing about the multitude of optional settings that I can choose from, I am now uncertain of where I would like to start out. It could still be the hospital, or a school system/daycare, or even outpatient. I did think it was cool to learn about how OT's are helpful in hospice situations. We think about doing things that are meaningful to us while we are healthy or getting back to doing them as best we can during intervention, but also just for pure comfort and enjoyment while in hospice. This is what I love about this profession though. OT is everywhere, it is life, it is what we do. Basically we live and breathe it, but nobody knows about it. Ironic. 

Even though I don't know where I want to begin my career, I do know where I want to end up at. I have a long term goal of having my own practice, where I can integrate lots of different practitioners such as PT, Speech, and possibly others who work with clients of all ages with various diagnosis. I not only want to give the best client based care possible, but I want them to have options. I never want them to be bored with therapy. I aspire to have an aquatic area, a kitchen area, a game area catered to all ages, a sensory area, and even a spot dedicated to clients with autism (the whole spectrum) and down syndrome because sometimes they can become over stimulated by what is going on around them, but details will come later for that. I can't wait to learn more so that I can keep building on what is to come. 

In Today's World

My heart is beating fast, palms are sweating, knees are shaking, and I am praying that I don't mess up. Yes, I am talking about public speaking! Even though this is most people's fear, I believe that during our era presentations every single person did an incredible job not only with the information presented, but how it was presented. One presentation that stood out to me from the start, was the 2010's decade. The mini JB concert in the beginning had me hooked, and reminiscing about the days where I would sit and watch YouTube videos of Justin Bieber in the beginning stages of his fame. Along with this, I like how the growth of technology was stressed because it has shaped everything that we do when it comes to occupations. It effects work, education, play, interventions, and really is the source of everything we do. Our society is surrounded by technology and the benefits that we reap from it.

How does all of this technology help us? Well, for example, it helps to convey concepts in a much more efficient and engaging way much like these Power points that were used. What settings could this be used in you may ask? Virtually anything. Specifically, let's talk about the work place. Technologies with such advancements like computers, phones, projectors, etc. can all benefit a working atmosphere let's say for a business meeting, or educational staff meeting, video conference calls, and more. More on the lines of occupational therapy, how does technology affect this profession? Such technologies are used for organizational conferences as well. Paperwork for the most part is all electronic, so computers have become a requirement for this reason, also making it easier to communicate with other therapists and doctors to ensure good quality of care for a client.  Also, with the use of WiFi and social media this has become a popular way for advocacy and support in not just OT, but for anything. With the fast rate of technological growth in the past 20 years, maybe in the next 50 years we will have holograms as teachers and we'll be flying to class, who knows!