Letter to Editor

Dear Editor,

Some people say you are born into a profession, and I like to think that rings true for me. April is occupational therapy month, and April is my birth month. I am writing to raise awareness and educate readers on the value of occupational therapy. It is well known within the occupational therapy community that we must explain our profession to most people we meet. In honor of the month we celebrate our profession, I would like to take a step toward changing that.

“Occupations” can be defined as the tasks in everyday life that occupy your time. Occupational therapy empowers individuals of all ages to participate in their daily lives by using individualized strategies and environmental adaptations to increase independence after experiencing or living with injury, illness and disability. This may look like recommending adaptive equipment, working on cognitive strategies during meal preparation and grocery shopping, or practicing safety techniques while showering; the possibilities are truly endless.

However, the goals worked towards in occupational therapy must be functional and meaningful to the client. There is great value in being invested in the work that it takes to reach a goal. The profession emphasizes stepping into the context of the client’s life, providing our expertise and support, and then stepping out. The goal is for clients to live, participate, and get back to the tasks they need and want to do with as much independence as they would like. While people may doubt the impact of these everyday activities, there is evidence to support the value and benefit of occupational therapy services.

In 2016, Rogers et al. published a study finding that occupational therapy was the only spending category with a statistically significant relationship with lowering hospital readmission rates when additional spending was added to the category; this relationship was found when studying heart failure, pneumonia, and acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). The 2016 study supports the idea that investing in occupational therapy leads to better health outcomes over time by decreasing hospital readmissions.

If you know an occupational therapy practitioner, remember to wish them a happy occupational therapy month this April. The profession will continue to defend the dignity of each client by viewing them through a lens that emphasizes strengths, adaptability and purpose.

Krista Taylor

Clay County resident/Doctor of Occupational Therapy Student, University of Florida