The Life of a BrOT

          After listening to the OT's Role in Diabetes Management podcast by Jess and Natalie in Glass Half Full, I have learned some key things to be mindful of when caring for a client with this chronic disease. The reason I chose this podcast is because I am at increased risk for getting diabetes one day due to my extensive family history. The vast majority of my relatives on my father's side of the family have diabetes- both type 1 and type 2. I thought it would be important to learn some information about diabetes management so that I can pass along useful education to clients as I embark on my career as an OT.           One of the greatest tools we can give our clients as OT's is education regarding how to manage their illness. In educating out clients, we can target self-management skills which can include dietary advice and self-care routines. Teaching clients how to develop a routine including information such as how and when ...

What is blissful ordinariness? In the field of occupational therapy, we pride ourselves on returning each client to their blissful ordinariness, or the baseline at which people perform everyday tasks. From a holistic standpoint, the uniqueness of our profession is the understanding that everybody’s blissful ordinariness may look different depending on capabilities and goals. Blissful ordinariness is essentially every activity or occupation an individual does throughout the day- it is the small things that may be taken for granted. For example, taking out the trash, opening a jar, cleaning, cooking, bathing, etc- all very ordinary things we do on a daily basis, requiring little thought, that would actually make a big difference if we lost these abilities. If a client comes to receive OT for a hand injury, it may take them some time to gain the strength and the dexterity to open their favorite jar of pickles or be able to brush their teeth for the full 2 minutes. Therefore, it is our du...