I presented a facilitated poster discussion about my study visit to the University of Southern California. I outlined the background to the visit and then went on to the following:
'...Current hospital discharge
practice can be frustrating for both OTs and older people themselves. It can be
reductionist, grounded in a medical model and emphasise ‘safety’ at the expense
of occupational engagement and enablement of valued daily activities. A
paradigm shift on the part of policy makers, service managers and individual
OTs is needed to change this. An understanding of the principles of the LRD
model can provide a way forward.
I want to leave you with
some points to ponder based on the opening plenary speech given by Professor
Iwama and Jacqui Lunday Johnstone’s Keynote address to the COTSS-Older People’s
conference. Professor Iwama challenged us to re-examine how and where we work
and to look at the preventative and public health arenas as the future of
Occupational Therapy. He asked us to consider the relevance of our services to the lives of the people and
communities we serve. Jacqui Lunday Johnstone emphasised the need to
demonstrate outcomes or the ‘added value’ that occupational therapists provide-
what she termed the ‘So What?’. Both
affirmed that the unique skills of OTs, if fully utilised can have real impact
on the hospital to home interface. Using an approach inspired by Lifestyle
Redesign® could help to make this a reality.
Imagine the older people who
use your service being asked two questions:
- Was the OT service you received relevant to your life?
- If you received a service, So What? What was the added value it brought?
If the answers you think you
would get are not what you would wish them to be, then it is time to begin
looking at the reasons and to think about whether using aspects of Lifestyle
Redesign® could be a way to change the answers in future.'