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Essay on preventing falls in elderly
Essay on preventing falls in elderly
Fall prevention due to environment in the elderly
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Occupational therapy is a rapidly growing field that is increasing at a rate of 27 percent (Occupational Therapists). While the number of occupational therapists is growing, the number of elderly people in the United States are growing as well. This is happening because baby boomers, or people that were born from 1946 to 1964, are aging at this time (Chippendale, Tracy). Occupational therapists play a very important role in the lives of almost all elderly people. Occupational therapists that help geriatric patients do numerous different activities and perform some changes in their lives to help them live to their fullest potential. One of the jobs that occupational therapists do for elderly people is preventing falls (“Fall Prevention for Older
Occupational therapists help geriatric patients relearn or become more efficient at simple tasks. Some of these daily tasks can include bathing, feeding, dressing, brushing their teeth, doing their hair, cleaning, and doing laundry (Tomac, Cindy). The elderly patients may even need help unlocking a door, turning a page, or picking up small objects and occupational therapists can help them do that. While the main focus is on performing necessary daily tasks, occupational therapists can also help patients achieve tasks that they want to do (The Importance of Occupational Therapy for Seniors). Some of these activities may include playing cards or board games, playing an instrument, or attending attending social events. Occupational therapists “educate geriatric patients on energy conservation and general safety to improve activity tolerance and safety. Occupational therapists also improve upper extremity strength and range of motion required for a variety of daily life tasks” (Cavello, Jessica). One of the main jobs of occupational therapists is to help elderly people be able to live their lives independently and they will do what it takes to make their patients reach their
According to the United States Department of Labor they explain that, “Occupational therapists treat patients with illnesses, Injuries, and disabilities through therapeutic use of everyday activities. Occupational therapist help patients recover, improve, and develop the skills
The health care industry is always growing and needing more workers. Occupational therapy has an extremely bright job outlook. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of occupational therapy assistants is projected to grow 29 percent from 2016 to 2026, which is much faster than other occupations. (Occupational, 2017) A reason for such a high outlook is because of the baby-boom generation becoming older which means more health implications. Becoming older can affect their ability to perform everyday
Jones, D., & Whitaker, T. (2011). Preventing falls in older people: assessment and interventions. Nursing Standard, 25(52), 50-55.
Though occupation usually refers to a job, a person’s occupation is initially determined by what their everyday life consists of. When a person becomes incapable of performing the tasks that they are expected to do in their everyday life due to developmental delays, physical injury, or psychological problems they are often referred to an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists, or OTs, usually have occupational therapy assistants, often called OTAs. The OT gives the OTA a set of objectives to help the patient achieve. Since people go through numerous occupations during the course of their lives, OT’s and OTA’s prov...
The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) categorizes feeding, eating and swallowing as occupations and activities that are essential to the basic well-being and survival of the individuals across the lifespan (AOTA, 2013 p. 19). The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has a long-standing position on the practitioner’s role on feeding, eating and swallowing. For example, feeding, eating and swallowing are included in official AOTA documents and publications such as AOTA Model Definition of Occupational Therapy for State Practice Acts (2007), and Scope of Practice Document official AOTA document (2006). These documents stipulate that feeding, eating and swallowing are within the domain and scope of occupational therapy
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO). (2005). Prevention of falls and fall injuries in the older adult. Retrieved from http://rnao.ca/sites/rnao-ca/files/Prevention_of_Falls_and_Fall_Injuries_in_the_Older_Adult.pdf
Townsend & Polatajko (2007) state that “Occupational therapy is the art and science of enabling engagement in everyday living, through occupation; of enabling people to perform the occupations that foster health and well-being; and of enabling a just and inclusive society so that all people may participate to their potential in the daily occupations of life”.
Occupational therapy has a multifaceted nature providing endless opportunities to serve a wide range of people within many environments, which is just one of the reasons I love this occupation. My long term goals enlist the desire to maximize my knowledge and abilities to care and supplement the lives of anyone that may cross my path in this career. I have seen occupational therapy positively impact the lives of people around me, and I strive to be a bigger role on the team helping make that happen.
Occupational therapy made its first appearance in a modern-day setting during the 18th century; however, occupational therapy dates back to 100 BC. The United States medical system adopted occupational therapy in the 19th century. In 1910, occupational therapy became a realized profession. Then, the main focus was working with individuals to get them to a fully functional state. Around 1930, standards of practice were developed for occupational therapists (OT’s). The career continues to evolve and change as new illnesses and disabilities arise. Even with all the changes, the main focus remains intact: helping people.
The focus of this paper is to compare and contrast a well elder and a frail elder while using Occupational Therapy Practice Framework language. For this assignment I chose to conduct a semi structured interview using the Canadian Occupational performance Measure (COPM) to gather information about my chosen elders perceived problems and priorities. For this assignment I will be using pseudonyms in order to protect the privacy of both individuals.
An occupational therapist becomes trained and licensed in the healthcare profession and obtains the credentials to make a complete assessment of the impact of an injury that is causing the activities of the patient at home and in work situations
During recent observation hours, I heard some of the most influential words of advice from an occupational therapist which was “Occupational therapy is fun.” It is a simple thought, yet it is so true. Occupational Therapy is not a healthcare field where you just prescribe medications. It is a career where you help older adults enjoy the activities they love again. It is a career where you help children be attentive at school and confident at the dinner table. It is a career where you dedicate time to understanding and encouraging patients in ways that are specific to their needs and goals. With occupational therapy, you create an individualistic approach to a patient’s plan of care. It is a career where you make a real difference, and because I want to create change and help others, I want to be an occupational therapist. I am so excited by the diverse and meaningful nature of the work, and I cannot wait to begin this journey.
They help them improve their movement and if necessary, help with the pain. “They are an important part of rehabilitation and treatment of patients with chronic conditions or injuries.” They spend a lot of time on their feet, actively working with patients. The following are some of the things that physical therapist typically do: diagnose patients by watching them stand or walk, they set up a plan for their patients, use exercises to help relieve them from any pain, evaluate the patient's progress and they educate their families about the problem. The work of a physical therapist varies on the the type of injury they are working with. For example, a patient that lost mobility due to Parkinson’s disease needs different type of attention as to an athlete recovering from a sprained ankle. This field has five areas: Orthopedic Physical Therapists which mainly focus o the function of the musculoskeletal system as well as sport injuries. Geriatric Physical Therapist are therapist that focus on older adults and work with conditions such as arthritis, cancer, joint replacement, balance disorders, etc. Neurological Physical Therapist focus on neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury, spinal cord injury and strokes. Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapist help people that struggle with cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions like heart attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary
When taking steps to analyze and apply intervention strategies for falls, we must examine the factors that cause these occurrences. There are numerous reasons that falls occur, such as intrinsic and or extrinsic risk factors. Intrinsic risk factors for falls may be due to changes that are part of the normal aging process and acute or chronic conditions. According to Zheng, Pan and Hua et al. (2013), about 35-45 percent of individuals who are usually older than 65 years and other 50 percent of the elderly individuals report cases of fall every year. Extrinsic factors are those related to physical environment such as lack of grab bars, poor condition of floor surfaces, inadequate or improper use of assistive devices (Currie). Patient falls is not an easy thing to eliminate. With many clinical challenges, there’s no easy answer to the challenges posed by patient falls; howe...
I believe individuals live the highest quality of life by being as independent and functional as possible. When one loses their physical ability to participate in the activities of everyday life due to an injury or illness, it can also have an adverse effect on their mental health and well-being. Occupational Therapy is essential for people to improve and regain the skills needed to live life to the fullest. I want to pursue Occupational Therapy as a career because it is a rewarding profession that works with individuals to improve independence and live a better life given their circumstances. My immense passion to help people and the skills I have gained throughout my educational, professional, and healthcare experiences will allow me