"Instead of meeting the person and immediately asking what is wrong, the OTPF is all about looking who the person is, what his or her occupations are, what is important to them, and then learning about what is challenging for them and what they want to be able to do. Occupational therapists not only speak in person-first language, but also practice person first."
"Looking at a client with this top-down approach improves
the way occupational therapists assist the client. By allowing the client to
tell about their roles and occupations before their disability, the
occupational therapist is able to provide more holistic care."
"When looking at the patient as a whole, you get to see the
big picture and can base your intervention on wants, needs, and desires of the
patient. I love the fact that as an occupational therapist I'm going to
constantly be meeting the needs of others, not only in a clinical way, but also
in a much deeper meaningful way. If the patient is passionate about "horse
back riding", I'm going to be doing everything in my power to get the
patient back on a horse. If the patient finds value in it, then so do I!"
“As our jobs as occupational therapy practitioners, it is our
goal to increase the ability of a client to participate in every day activities.
Due to the OTPF, practitioners have steps that allow us to engage more with the
client, learn more about the client, and create interventions for the client.
We are able to have a better understanding about what the client wants to
achieve and not just the underlying problem. This creates a bond between the
practitioner and client.”
