Since we all learn from personal experiences, I have chosen one that stands out to me. During my didactic portion of OT schooling, I had the opportunity to participate in a ProBono clinic. This clinic was led by licensed and registered occupational and physical therapists who were also professors at the university. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to learn hands-on while providing care to those in need. During my time at the clinic, I had my first real interaction treating an individual with limb loss. So today, I am going to tell you a little bit more about my experience.
As always, if you have questions, comments, or ideas for any portion of this site, including the blog, please send them my way! Your input is valued, and my desire is for this site to be as informative and fun as possible! I want everyone to learn and grow their understanding of the journey, challenges, and experiences faced by individuals with limb loss and prosthetics devices and to also gain a better understanding of OT and how the two relate!!
There are so many things I could tell you about what I learned through the ProBono clinic, and I plan to share them over time. But today’s story is actually less about the physical opportunities provided by the clinic and more about what I found to be an important mental take-a-way.
As much as I don’t want to believe it, most individuals do not fully understand what occupational therapy is and have no idea of its role in the rehabilitation of individuals with limb loss and prosthetic devices. So, I plan to take full advantage of this gap and educate and advocate until this need is met!
The statistics are there, the research is [almost] there (some key points have definitely been proven, others need a little more attention, but it is a work in progress), and the need is there, but the understanding and acknowledgement is not. This is the main focus of OT unLIMBited, so if you haven’t yet checked out otunlimbited.com you probably should - you will find more details and resources on the rehabilitation process of individuals with limb loss and prosthetic devices, as well as information on occupational therapy and how the two go together! In the meantime, I am going to share a personal experience of someone who did not fully understand what OT was, how I handled the situation, and what I learned from it!
As a graduate student, I, alongside several of my classmates, had the opportunity to work with an individual with an above-knee amputation. He was an incredible individual who was always willing to teach us about his prosthetic device and very open about his journey and the majority of the challenges he faced. He was a wonderful client for me to work with to better understand the experiences of those with limb loss and prosthetic devices and to better recognize and understand the role of OT in his rehabilitation process.
But I will never forget the day he said to me… “I don’t need OT; it is pointless. I just need PT.” His main goal was to improve his gait, so, in his defense, PT is extremely helpful in that aspect. But he also wanted to go out into the community for events, drinks, and dancing. He wanted to walk on the beach. And he wanted to return to work as a landscaper. So, I made it my personal goal for him to understand that OT would be a crucial part of his journey too. I did not want him to think he only needed PT, or he only needed OT... it needed to be a group effort all around, even including his prosthetist and doctors when possible.
I learned that at the beginning of his journey, he had a not-so-great experience with OT (sadly, this does happen), so he had become very close-minded to it. (Please don't let one bad experience in life keep you from giving something a second chance!) I took it upon myself and made it my “job” to open his mind and show him the benefits.
I knew right away I needed to get to know him and his interests more. I needed to know what motivated him and needed to find ways I could relate. We were not the same age or gender, nor did we have similar childhood experiences or career paths. We were very different people, and that was okay! So instead of focusing on one common interest, I listened to what he said, and my actions proved to him that I cared and wanted to see him benefit!
Each week we started off the session with him just talking - he told me about his week, the successes he had, and the new challenges or issues that had risen. I made it a point to address as many of them as I could. Some we were able to address the same day, and others I would go home, do some research, and print out valuable resources. I would bring them to him the next week. This was something he enjoyed, and I could sense he was starting to warm up to the idea of OT. To help, I wanted him to have a well-rounded understanding of OT… and if you are trying to teach your clients the same, some tips are as follows:
Occupational therapy is broad and very unique for each client, so I know this can be hard, but give it your best shot! Break down their goals into areas OTs can focus on and educate, educate, EDUCATE! I discovered he liked to learn, he liked to know the reason why, the science behind things, and even liked learning the technical, medical terms. I made sure I was prepared with an explanation each week. We would even quiz each other on how to pronounce and spell different medical words - was this a goal, no... but it was a fun thing for us to do to gain a better rapport while we worked on other skills!
We spent sessions talking about his goals, about what OT was, about his experiences, his feelings, his challenges. We completed interventions related to balance (yes, OTs can do that), strengthening (we can do that too), and mobility (and that). We also spent time replicating movements needed for safely navigating curbs, steps, crowded rooms, and uneven sidewalks. We spent sessions breaking down dance moves. We spent sessions educating on diet and medication management. We imitated movements necessary for returning to work and discussed safe ways to complete required tasks. We did all of this while having fun and being interactive! The client was more than willing to participate in sessions from day one but originally did it because he really wanted to help us students learn; by the end, you could sense he was participating because he enjoyed it!
Also, always remember to make it a team effort! There were times when it was just OTs working with him, and times it was only PTs, but there were also days of collaboration. We worked together to break down his movements, brainstorm new ideas, and collaborated on new plans to progress towards his goals.
By the end of our time together, he definitely had a better understanding of OT. I don’t want it to come across that all attempts are perfect and 100% successful, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. He did admit to me during one of our last sessions together that he has now had a positive experience with OT, sees more of its value, and is willing to continue learning more. He is ready to give OT the chance it deserves, and that is honestly all I could ask for!
So, when you meet someone on a new journey, don’t expect them to fully know everything from the start. And remember, we don’t always know everything they have been through, so break it down, take it a day at a time, go back to the basics, relate where you can, listen when you can’t relate, and build a foundation to grow on! Then take small steps in the right direction, and the rest will come!
Together we can improve the understanding of OT and build a positive stigma around the profession! What are some tips you have for other OTs or anyone working in healthcare or any career with client/consumer interactions? Leave them in the comments below or use the feedback box to send your stories and experiences to me! And always feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns!
Check out otunlimbited.com for more information
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