Conference Presentation

                                                            

              

                                                           Transition to Practice

                                                  Part A: Conference Presentation

Blog Entry One:

Introduction:

Hello and welcome to this blog presentation. My name is Cara Tate and I am an Occupational therapy student completing the final semester of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Degree. This blog will provide a professional development opportunity for you the reader, my peers and potential colleagues. It will also present an aspect of my learning and which I am passionate about.

The topic I have chosen to present is:

        ‘What are the benefits of engaging in leisure activities that are meaningful

                                           for the retired generation?

Meaningful occupation is at the crux of occupational therapy practice. This blog intends to explore the perspectives of meaningful leisure activities for several retired persons and my own understanding of the benefits it has on their well-being. 

Objectives within this blog:

·         Blog entry Two: Definitions

·         Blog entry Three: Personal accounts

·         Blog entry Four: Evidence & Research

·         Blog entry Five: Crux of occupational therapy practice

·         Blog entry Six: My professional development & reflection

Definitions:

Blog Entry Two:

Definitions:

Defining meaningful occupations:

These are a few ideas around occupation/activity which I consider to be the reason why people choose to engage in an occupation/activity;

•          The enjoyment from engaging in a particular occupation/activity
•          It provides structure and routine to a person’s life
•         The satisfaction of the end result
•         It can provide a sense of belonging
•         The occupation/activity can provide an opportunity to socialize  

Definitions from our learned peers:

Meaning: Reed, Hocking & Smythe (2010) state that “Meaning has been linked to identity with the understanding that individuals’ occupations contribute to their identity via the groups they identify with, which assign value to those occupations (pp.141).

Occupations: Townsend & Polatajko (2007)  describe occupations as “the groups of activities and tasks of everyday life, named, organized, and given value and meaning by individuals and a culture; they also include what people do to look after themselves, they work they do and even the activities they chose to do for leisure” (pp.74).

Meaningful occupations: Husselkus (2002) states that "the sources of meaning found in occupation and the contributions that occupation makes to meaning in our lives" (p. xi) is what meaningful occupations is about.

Well-being: Orem (1985) cited in (Mary Law et al., 1998) has emphasized well-being as a term that is used to describe an individual’s perception of their condition. Well-being refers to the integration of a person’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social characteristics (pp.83).

References:

Hasselkus, B.R. (2002). The meaning of everyday occupation. Thorofare, NJ: Slack.

Orem, D.E. (1985). A concept of self-care for the rehabilitation client. Rehabilitation Nursing,

10 (3) 3 - 3 6 . Cited in Law, M., Steinwender, S., and LeClair, L. (1998).
Occupation, health and well-being. Canadian journal of occupational therpy. 65 (2)

Reed, K., Hocking, C. & Smythe, L. (2010). The interconnected meanings of occupation:

The call, being-with, possibilities. Journal of occupational science. 17 (3)

Townsend, E. & Polatajko, H. (2007). Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational

herapy vision for health, well-being, & justice through occupation. CAOT

Publications: Ottowa, Ontario

Personal Accounts

Blog Entry Three:

Personal accounts:

I would like to now introduce you to John & Enid, two retired people who I have come to know well and who were willing to provide their time and opinions around the topic of meaningful leisure occupations.  They also shared how they chose to spend their time and how they feel these impacts on their well-being.

John: I asked John what comes to mind when he thinks about meaningful leisure occupations, his reply included traveling, watching documentaries, reading insightful articles and the NZ Listener and using the computer for the news, emailing and for downloading the photographs of flowers that he takes in the garden. Cryptic cross words for John are problem solving with words and he says it keeps the mind going.  John also describes that he worked continuously for 52 years in a trade which required constant communication and now enjoys being the laborer around home and if he can do it, he will do it himself.  John describes that he can do absolutely nothing and be perfectly content in doing so and this along with his meaningful occupations support a balance which therefore provides John with a perception of healthy a well-being (Personal communication, 2012).

 

 

 

 A small collection of photographs taken by John.  

Enid: When I asked Enid about what she describes as her meaningful occupations and her reply included, cooking, gardening, completing the responsibilities of being a marriage celebrant, crocheting, alterations to clothing, reading, knitting fish & chip baby jumpers, as well as dyeing and spinning wool, letter writing, walking her dog, socializing and that retirement is freedom! Enid mentions she has always been an active person, a teacher until retirement and even then would do relief teaching and support children’s education by tutoring. Keeping active and moving Enid says keeps her well. She uses activity as a self-help therapy along with medication, especially when the rheumatoid arthritis suddenly flares up. Here are a few photographs of the baby jumpers known as the ‘fish & chip baby’ jumpers that Enid knitted thousands of and they were sent to Ethiopia (Personal communication, 2012).  (

 

A small collection of the ‘fish & chip baby’ jumpers knitted by Enid.

Here is a link to  a news article published in the Southland Times about 'fish & chip baby' jumpers.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4513132/Friends-knitting-for-babies

References:

John & Enid (2012), Personal Communications.

Research & Evidence:

Blog Entry Four:

Research & Evidence:
 

There is a significant quantity of research evidence to support that the positive relationship between occupation, health and well-being and that it is intertwined. The strength of the effect of occupation on health is dependent on the relationship between the person, environment and occupation. It is the balance between self-care, productivity and leisure that provides a positive sense of well-being for any individual. 

Wilcock (2006) describes that “The active aging process sits well with the view of doing, being, becoming and belonging and it states that research shows all four are essential to survival, health and well-being” (pp.17).

There is both antiquarian and modern evidence available to support how meaningful occupations promote successful ageing, can benefit health, prolong life and therefore promote well-being. In the 19th century Thomas Southwood-Smith (1836) stated that “it is, in fact, the pleasurable consciousness which constitutes the feeling of health” (pp.81-82).

Here and now in New Zealand, the New Zealand’s Positive Ageing Strategy (Ministry of Social Development, 2001) has developed 10 goals that are used by central and local government agencies to develop their own action plans to improve the well-being of older people to participate in their communities in ways they choose.

Here is a link to a wordpress: This is a blog set up by the New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists.
http://meaningfuloccupations.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/what-occupations-are-meaningful-to-you/#comment-71

What occupations are meaningful to you?

References:

Southwood-Smith, T. (1836). The philosophy of health; Or an exposition of the physical and

mental constitution of man, with a view to the promotion of human longevity and happiness.

(Vol 1). London: Charles Knight. Cited in Wilcock, A.A. (2007). Active ageing: Dream or

reality? New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54(1), 15-20.

New Zealand’s Positive Ageing Strategy (2001), retrieved 30/07/2012 from      www.msd.govt.nz/what-we-can-do/seniorcitizens/positive-ageing/index.html

Wilcock, A.A. (2007). Active ageing: Dream or reality? New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54(1), 15-20.

Crux of Occupational Therapy Practice:

Blog Entry five:

Crux of occupational therapy practice:

The ‘Domain of Concern’ is what all occupational therapist have in common with one another. We all take a unique occupational perspective on life and by having an occupational lens enables us to understand what people are doing and perhaps what they want, need to do for their survival and therefore to be healthy, live well and experience well-being.

The World Health Organization (1986) from the Ottawa Charter states that “Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment” (WHO, 1986).

As occupational therapists we are concerned with the question, ‘Why is this person having difficulties in their daily activities/occupations and what can we adapt to make it possible for the individual to better manage their health and well-being?’ To practice using an ‘active ageing’ perspective does not require needing to understand another model or approach to practice by, instead it requires that we as occupational therapists are true to the concept that occupation promotes health and well-being.

References:

The World Health Organization (1986) retrieved 30/07/2012
from http://www.nzaot.com/resources/primary-health-care-toolkit/health-promotion.php.

My Professional Development & Reflection:

Blog Entry Six:

My Professional Development & Reflection:

Throughout this Degree, I have been introduced to ample illustrations of meaningful occupations and how they can assist a person with their well-being. Courses such as ‘Adaptive Living Occupations, Adaptive Living Technology, Humanities, Psychology, Disability, Function and Occupation and Professional Practice 3’ have all supported my learning of how an individual’s well-being is affected by the environment and the chosen occupations. While completing Older Persons component of the course called ‘Professional Practice 3’ earlier this year I learnt how we as humans age and how important it is to age successfully. By this I refer to there being an avoidance of disability and disease, maintaining cognitive function and being actively engaged in life, all contributes to a person’s well-being.

My understanding of the benefits of engaging in meaningful occupations and the positive impact it has on a person’s well-being has been strengthened from working with older clients during Fieldwork Placements 1 (Acute surgical & medical setting) and Placement 4 (Rehabilitation & Rheumatology), also retired members of my family and especially my interviewee’s Enid & John.  Leisure activities that I personally like to engage in include Hebel sculpture, reading, walking my dog, spending time and traveling with the family, spending time with friends, professional development and studying are just a few of the meaningful leisure occupations that I choose to engage in because they support my occupational balance so therefore support my well-being. 
Compiling my knowledge and researching for this blog has allowed me the time to reflect upon the true value of meaningful occupations for our retired generation and it has strengthened my values of our profession. I can see this sector being an area I could pursue a career in.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, I hope you have enjoyed the journey! 

Acknowledgements:

Enid & John (2012). Personal communications, Signed consent to use photograph and interviewing.

Here below are a small sample of the Hebel sculptures I have created.