Dr. Remy Hadley was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease (HD) in 2007. Even though her mother died from HD, Dr. Hadley did not want to be tested, but suspected that she had inherited the gene. In 2008 she noticed tremors and now is in the beginning stages of HD. Her symptoms include issues such as increased upper extremity tremors, minimal memory problems, and impaired coordination. Challenges and barriers that she is currently dealing with include issues eating, drinking, balancing, tripping, and coordinating fine motor skills. Dr. Hadley is determined to continue her current life of working in the hospital, exercising, and maintaining her independence as long as possible. OT intervention wants to focus on decreasing energy expenditure, such as giving her a recording device for documentation purposes, and finding other adaptive strategies that will aid her in her independent living.
The beautiful thing about occupational therapy as a profession is its adaptability. It thrives in an environment that is multi-dimensional where the profession morphs according to the client. "Client-centered" and "top-down approach" are all key terms when describing OT. Instead of being a rigid process with little adaptation, the profession molds into the best fit for each specific client. Occupational therapists are more than just practitioners. In a way, OTs are detectives, teachers, and companions. One theory that capitalizes on the adaptability of OT is Frame of Reference (FoR). FoR implements the strengths of OT by allowing the practitioner's roles to adapt to each individual client. Using the client's FoR aids the therapist to develop an intervention that best suites his specific needs. This is where solving mysteries and applying reasoning to the situation is useful. Deducing the client's motivations and context are key in the deve...
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