What Do You Need To Know?
Do you ever feel, as an OT, that we need to know everything?
What I am referring to is that the notion of Activities of Daily Living encompasses so much! What is the most important activity of daily living to the patient and how will that goal impact the ultimate goal of highest level of independence? Does the insurance provider agree with what I think or the patient's wishes?
I may ramble a bit, so humor me.
When what we want is for our patient to be at their best, and to have the best recovery, what is it we focus on? Of course I am not even hinting that we don't know how to write goals and evaluate a situation. But often times little questions keep nagging at me. How do we open a patient's frame of reference around recovery? How important is the patient's eating habits and lack of movement going to impact recovery? What is the one thing we can impact when lifelong habits are not conducive to healing?
I guess as OTs we look at the bigger picture, and the whole person. What tiny bit of information will be helpful to me as I determine what I might introduce to the plan of care? What is holding the patient back? Is it the fact that they are depressed, and therefore progress may be halted until the depression is addressed? Does she feel that if she recovers that no one will be there to care and assist anymore? Does the patient really want to recover to return to a job that makes them sick, or a life where there is not much support at home?
So much is involved in our therapy plan of care and the ADLs. It can include aspects of good nutrition, enough exercise, good choices, whole picture thinking and small picture thinking, emotional stability and emotional intelligence. What is it that makes up the whole person and their journey towards recovery or discharge? What is it that brought them to the present point and what is the role that I play in facilitating their growth?
Of course, there is one more question. How do I do all this and have it be congruent with the insurance provider?