OT’s Role in Firefighter Mental Health

Alyssa M. Garcia, OTD, OTR/L

Trends in Occupational Therapy Research and Practical Applications for Providers

Research Special Interest Section

Transition from the IFSP to the IEP: The Changing Roles of the Occupational Therapy Practitioner in Part C vs Part B of IDEA

Pauline Kelly, OTD, OTR/L 

Establishing Fieldwork Site Objectives for Entry-Level Development 

Improving Patient Safety in Occupational Therapy

Anna DeMarco

Elevating Fieldwork Experiences: The Role of Evidence-Based Practice in Occupational Therapy

Kristina Hartsook, DrOT, OTR/L, BCP

Empowering students in fieldwork: Building emotional intelligence skills through self-assessment 

Lucerito R. Gonzalez, COTA/L, MSOTS

Decreasing Lymph Volume With the Use of Deep Oscillation Therapy

Candice D. Young E.d.S., COTA/L, CLT

The Experiences of Siblings of Individuals with Special Needs   

Kim Dudzinski, EdD, OTR/L, Mary Stein, OT-S, Veronica Sarti, OT-S, Alexis Bellacera, OT-S, & Hannah Sbacchi, OT-S 

Home and community health therapy services post Public Health Emergency (PHE)

Amanda Kotolski, Ph.D., OTR/L

Call to Action: Share Your Feedback with CMS

Wake up to the occupation of sleep: Its importance in the older adult

by: Anette Bullard, MEd, COTA/L and Anjali Parti, OTD, OTR/L 

Everyone has experienced having to power through the day after a night of not sleeping well with every aspect of the day feeling more challenging due to your lack of sleep. The National Institute of Health (2017) identifies sleep as one of the most important occupations for maintaining all aspects of health. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018) has recognized sleep deprivation as a public health problem with broad, negative effects on safe occupational performance. For the older adults the challenges brought on by age compounded with a lack of sleep can further decrease successful occupational performance. Many age-related changes tend to disturb patterns of sleep and the myth that older adults need less sleep is actually incorrect (Suni, 2022b). The older adult is confronted with additional sleep obstacles such as, chronic conditions, medications, diminished physical activity, and decreased cognitive exercise, all of which have all been associated with decreases in sleep satisfaction. The resulting downward spiral of poor sleep results in less successful occupational engagement. The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework includes ‘rest and sleep’ as an area of occupation and defining occupational therapy practitioners as qualified professionals to assist clients with the occupation of rest and sleep (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020). This brief article seeks to assist practitioners with identifying resources and awareness for more consistently addressing the occupation of sleep in the older adults. 

As you may know, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) issued a press release last week containing guidelines related to the Treatment of Gender Dysphoria for Children and Adolescents. 

 

As stated, the press release is guidance and does not create a requirement for health care practitioners.

 

According to our practice framework, and regardless of condition or diagnosis, occupational therapy practitioners support clients by offering evidence-based treatments which affirm the lived experience, encourage exploration of identity, provide a safe and supportive environment, maximize strengths and resources, reflect on consequences of treatment approaches, facilitate participation in preferred roles, and prevent loss of engagement in meaningful occupations. 

 

Clinicians with specific questions regarding the guidance should contact the DOH directly. 

 

Clinicians should also feel free to reach out to [email protected] with comments, concerns or to speak with practitioners familiar with these topics. 

 

FOTA will continue to share information as it becomes available.

 

Sincerely,

 

Your Government Affairs Team"

INTEGRATING HEALTH LITERACY IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Hello,

Just a reminder that there is now a requirement for a Human Trafficking CE

CHILDREN AND COVID-19

by: Kimberly McKinney MOT, MPT, tDPT, PHC
FOTA SIS Early Intervention/School Systems Chair H2 Health at Georgia-Pacific Palatka

The news about the coronavirus is everywhere, but what effect is it having on kids? According to a new study from China’s Shenzhen province (led by scientists from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention) believes that although children do contract COVID-19 they do not get sick as quickly as adults. This is believed to be due to children having healthier lungs (from not smoking or fewer years of exposure to pollution) (Pappas, 2020).

FOTA...

Who We Are

The Florida Occupational Therapy Association (FOTA) is an all volunteer organization with the exception of one paid employee. That one employee, which many of you who have contacted the organization already know, is named Janine. She is fantastic at what she does for the organization, handling many of the day to day tasks that administratively need to be addressed. FOTA proudly represents the interest of over 16,000+ occupational therapy practitioners (occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students). Currently, membership in our organization is approximately 1,000 total members, with half of those members being students (our future practitioners). Of the 500 approximate practitioners, we have 50 or so practitioners who are tasked with running the organization and the scope of its reach. So, you might ask, why all the honesty? Because FOTA believes in transparency and we feel it is important you know who we are and what we do. We also need to be honest in expressing how necessary you are to that definition, as we are all simultaneously co-evolving.