Occupational Therapy Essay

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When working in occupational therapy we will have opportunity to work with patients of all ages from a variety of backgrounds. To provide the best care possible for our patients, we need to be aware of how to properly communicate with and educate any patient. In a pediatric facility or hospital we may have infants as patients; the age of an infant is from birth to one year old. Infants have many needs such as love, comfort, warmth, feeding and drinking, and a strong sense of security (Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, 2003). If any of these needs are neglected or inadequate the emotional and/or physiological well-being and development of the infant will be at risk. As with all of our patients we need to look at an infant …show more content…

When interacting with parents and their child, we should speak in a warm, caring, patient, and professional tone. Parents that we will interact with will not only be experiencing the same vulnerability and exhaustion that all new parents experience, but may also be nervous or fearful for their child. As OT professionals we should provide as much relevant medical information as possible in a professional and empathetic manner. At times we may have to reassure the parent that we and any associated healthcare team will do all we can to help. A health literacy assessment can be given to the parent so we can provide instructions in ways they will understand and be able to implement proper care for their child. Repeating important information at the beginning and end of therapy sessions will help to ensure that the caregiver understands. When providing parents with essential information we should practice the “teach back technique”, as we learned in class, to confirm their understanding. We should do our best to be available to answer any questions that the parent or care giver may have. Because infants learn through play, pamphlets that provide information about a diagnosis, or play activities designed to help encourage an infant’s growth may be very helpful. Parents of infants with specific diagnoses may benefit from individual or group therapy. Providing positive emotional resources to the parent of an infant will help them to fulfill their child’s

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