World Occupational Therapy Day, held annually on October 27, is the opportunity to heighten the visibility of the profession’s development work
Dr Vailanki N Raposo
The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) is the international voice of the occupational therapy profession which globally comprises of 107 national occupational therapy professional organizations. World Occupational Therapy Day, held annually on October 27, is the opportunity to heighten the visibility of the profession’s development work. The importance of occupational therapy in facilitating and improving the ability of individuals, communities, and populations from across the world to participate in the activities that they want, need or are expected to do in their daily lives and to promote the activities of WFOT locally, nationally, and internationally.
Importance of Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy can be described as the art and science of directing a person’s participation in selected activities to restore, reinforce and enhance performance, facilitate learning of skills and functions essential for adaptation and productivity, to diminish or correct pathology, and to promote and maintain health.
Occupational therapy is a branch of health care treatment of which the primary area of concern is the patient’s ability to perform functions required in day to day life. It helps people of all ages who have physical, sensory, or cognitive problems. It can help them regain independence in all areas of their lives. An Occupational Therapist help with barriers that affect a person’s emotional, social, and physical needs.
Goals of occupational therapy
The goal of occupational therapy is to develop and improve the skills that are needed to live life as independently as possible. This includes things like being able to take care of oneself and to work – as well as being able to leave their home and meet up with other people. It can help one cope with a (new) physical, mental or psychological limitation and manage better in everyday life. This can improve their health and quality of life, and make it easier to take part in social activities. Relatives and other caregivers can also get useful tips and advice from an Occupational Therapist.
Depending on the type of limitation, personal circumstances and the goal of the treatment, occupational therapy may include the following learning and practicing skills for school, work or activities that one do in their free time, developing and trying out personal strategies to help one reach their own goals, movement and perception activities, concentration and memory activities, manual and creative activities, helping in structuring their daily routine, changing things in their 0home or workplace, using medical aids such as a walker, splints or prosthesis and advice and guidance for relatives and other caregivers too.
The mission of the Occupational Therapy Program is to prepare reflective, creative, skilled and ethical occupational therapists. We meet this mission by: Emphasizing experiential learning, evidence based practice and professional reasoning.