What is the difference between occupational therapy and physiotherapy?

1. What is the difference between occupational therapy and physiotherapy? • Physiotherapy is a health care profession directed at evaluating, maintaining and restoring physical function (Canadian Physiotherapy Association, 1999). Occupational therapy is a health profession that looks at physical function too but in terms of how it affects your ability to do the things that are important to you and your occupations. Occupational therapists also have the knowledge and training to work with people with a mental illness or emotional problems such as depression and/or stress. • Occupational therapists often work alongside physiotherapists, as part of a team of health professionals. Just as physical therapists use physical exercise and modalities to treat physical movement dysfunction, occupational therapists use and adapt occupations to treat or prevent occupational dysfunction due to physical, mental or environmental factors.

2. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Occupational therapists believe that occupations describe who you are and how you feel about yourself. If you are unable to do the things you want, or need to do, to live and to enjoy your life, then your general well-being may be affected. Occupational therapists work with people of any age to promote health, prevent disability, and develop or maintain abilities. Occupational therapists have training and knowledge in physical and psychosocial development and disorders and therefore look at the whole person, not just the physical aspects of the person’s problem. They also look at these problems or risks in terms of how they affect someone’s function. Occupational therapy benefits the individual and those around them such as teachers, employers, parents, spouses and other family members.

3. Tenets of O.T. • Occupation refers to the activities and tasks of daily life that have value and meaning to a person. They incl. • Productivity • Leisure • Self-care

4. Occupational Therapy values & beliefs • About occupationWe believe that: • occupation gives meaning to life • occupation is an important determinant of health and well-being • occupation organizes behaviour • occupation develops and changes over a lifetime • occupation shapes and is shaped by environments • occupation has therapeutic effectiveness • About the personWe believe that: • humans are occupational beings • every person is unique • every person has intrinsic dignity and worth • every person can make choices about life • every person has some capacity for self-determination • every person has some ability to participate in occupations • every person has some potential to change • persons are social and spiritual beings • persons have diverse abilities for participating in occupations • persons shape and are shaped by their environment • About the environmentWe believe that: • environment is a broad term including cultural, institutional, physical and social components • performance, organization, choice and satisfaction in occupations are determined by the relationship between persons and their environment • About healthWe believe that: • health is more than the absence of disease • health is strongly influenced by having choice and control in everyday occupations • health has personal dimensions associated with spiritual meaning and life satisfaction in occupations and social dimensions associated with fairness and equal opportunity in occupations • About client-centred practiceWe believe that: • clients have experience and knowledge about their occupations • clients are active partners in the occupational therapy process • risk-taking is necessary for positive change • client-centred practice in occupational therapy focuses on enabling occupation • Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1997). Enabling Occupation: An Occupational Therapy Perspective. Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.

5. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY provides the skills for the job of living solves the problems that interfere with peoples ability to do the activities or occupations that are important to them or prevent a disruption in their daily lives. These problems may be a result of injury, disease, social disadvantage, or the environment. the difference between life and living client centred learn new ways of doing things Make adaptations to ensure performance Modify environment promotes independence

6. What does an OT look at? • Occupational therapy works to break down the barriers which impede individuals in their everyday activities. Occupational therapists examine not only the physical effects of an injury or disease, but also address the psycho-social, community and environmental factors that influence function. • To begin, an occupational therapist will try to find out why you cannot do what you would like or need to do… • Depending on your situation, an occupational therapists may check: • what you can and cannot do physically (this includes your strength, coordination, balance, or other physical abilities) • what you can and cannot do mentally (your memory, organization skills, coping strategies, or other mental abilities) • what materials you use to participate in the occupation (for example, work tools, furniture, cooking utensils, clothes, or other materials) • the social and emotional support available to you in your home, school, work and community • the physical setup of your house, school, classroom, work place, community, or other environment

7. How could an OT help you? • 1. Helping you overcome your disability • An occupational therapist may help you overcome your disability by: • A. Educating or instructing you on how to do things with the abilities you have • Some examples: • how to remember things when your memory is poor • how to dress or cook using one arm • how to manage your time and money • how to use public transit when you are having problems • how to get around in your community, while using a wheelchair • how to manage your stressors • how to advocate for an integrative community • B. Suggesting activities that will help you improve or maintain the abilities you have or are weak in. • Some examples: • improving your coping strategies • increasing your strength • increasing your confidence and belief in yourself • increasing your coordination • improving your concentration • minimizing or preventing deformity of your hands after an injury

8. How could an OT help you? • 2. Adapting the Materials You Use • The occupational therapist may adapt the materials you use in the occupations you want to do by making or recommending: • A. Changes in the things you use around the house • Some examples: • large push buttons on your telephone • can opener that can be used with only one hand • special key holder to make turning keys easier • B. Changes in the things you use in sports leisure, or recreation • Some examples: • a playing cards holder • a grasping cuff to help you hold a pool cue or a racquet • a knitting needle holder • wrist stabilizer • C. Changes in the things you use at work or school • Some examples: • a special chair to help you sit up straight • self-opening scissors • special hammers and other tools that are easier to use and prevent injury to hands and back • writing boards to help keep paper still • D. Changes in the things you use to take care of yourself • Some examples: • clothes with velcro ties • equipment that helps you put on your socks or stockings • built up handles on toothbrushes, forks, spoons, or knives to help you hold them • special bath or toilet seats • long handled and curved brushes for hair and bath • E. Changes in the things you use to get from place to place • Some examples: • recommend wheelchairs • special seating and positioning for chairs to help sit right • car modifications such as one-handed steering wheels or hand operated accelerators/brakes • bicycles/tricycles modifications such as foot straps for pedals or seat support

9. How could an OT help you? • 3. Recommending Changes to the Environments Where You Do Your Occupations • A. Recommending changes to the physical layout of your work place, home, or school • Some examples: • wheelchair ramps • widening doorways • lowering/raising desk tops, counter tops, or cupboards • reorganization of living space • B. Recommending and finding out about the support in your community • Some examples: • self-help groups • community recreational programs • specialized public transportation • funding agencies for transportation needs, special equipment such as wheelchairs, bath seats, or specialized computer equipment • C. Working with the people in your community by • providing education about a disability to the family, teachers, parish members, employers, or employees • D. Working with the goverment to encourage people to stay healthy • Some examples: • request funding for special equipment • request funding for programs such as exercise programs for Seniors, or a work training program for people with physical or mental disabilities • respond to legislation that may affect your health care

10. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

11. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS UBC U of A Bachelor’s degree in any field 3.0 GPA (~ B+) Recommended course in human anatomy or physiology Statistics C.V. with references Letter as to your knowledge of O.T. • Bachelor’s degree in any field • Minimum academic requirments – B+ in 3rd & 4th yr courses • Human anatomy (3rd level +) • Social Sciences (eg sociology, anthropology) • Behavioral sciences (eg psychology, etc) • 700 hrs of volunteer or paid work involving direct contact with people with disabilities • Interview

12. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS U of T UWO Bachelor’s degree with at least B avg but generally B+ in last 10 courses Has a PhD program • Bachelor’s degree with minimum B+ in their final yr • Recommended anatomy/physiology, statistics and psychology • Statement explaining what they would bring to the profession, incl. references & resume • Recommended paid or volunteer work that exposes them to what an occupational therapist does

13. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS McMaster Queen’s Bachelor’s degree with at least B+ avg Statement of why you want to become an O.T. 2 academic /professional references-judging work performance and interpersonal skillsStatement regarding why you want to become an O.T. • Bachelor’s degree with at least 76% avg in the last 2 yrs • 2 academic references • 2 clinical/work-related references

14. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS U of Ottawa McGill Bachelor’s degree with at least 3.2 GPA Human anatomy and physiology 50hrs of volunteer or paid work where occupational therapy is observed • Bachelor’s degree with B+ avg • Bilingual (fyi-info was written in French) • Human anatomy or physiology • 2 courses in psychology • Statistics • Sociology • Statement letter of your work or volunteer experience in the last 3 yrs prior to applying • C.V. with academic references

15. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Dalhousie Other universities offering OT programs University of Manitoba Universite de Montreal Universite de Sherbrooke UniversiteduQuebecaTrois-Rivieres Universite Laval • Bachelor’s degree with at least B-B+ in the last 2 yrs • 2 courses in human physiology • 1 course in human anatomy • Statistics, sociology • 2 academic references

16. Professional Opportunities • Private practice • Consultants – home modifications, assistive technology, ergonomics • Research • Retail – medical equipment • Schools • Long term care settings • Higher education programs • Hospitals – mental health, rehab, acute care • Outpatient clinics • People to People Ambassadorship • Travelling therapy

17. Case Examples • Hip replacement • Back or neck surgery • Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) • Rotator cuff tear or surgery • Trauma-multiple fractures • Pneumonia