Gratitude for the Healers

During lunch, I was chatting with a friend from the Department of Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), and the conversation shifted to our respective majors, where she said something interesting. To pseudo phrase, she said something like, “Working in OT or hospice is about optimism; your job is to let your patient live the best possible life for as long as possible.” That really stuck with me. The idea seems so simple, but I never gave it any thought.

Occupational therapy practitioners do more than just fix problems. They help their clients minimize and prevent health problems in the long term. Assessment of how a client’s physical, mental, and social condition and activities affect one another is a crucial part of the job.

Alongside providing general treatment, OT can involve:

• Teaching strategies for clients to live healthier lives
• Locating accessible community fitness programs
• Creating a daily meal intake schedule for proper nutrition
• Coaching the client on how to monitor their own condition
• Training the client in areas such as socialization, caregiving, parenting, time and stress management, etc.
• Evaluating the safety and accessibility of a client’s home, workspace, and modes of transportation

Interestingly enough, all the above activities are focused on improving the clients’ lives outside the clinic. Knowing that, this line of work honestly does a lot to empower their patients.

I guess I always saw the medical field as solving the current problem so the patient will not have to deal with it later. However, that view focuses on the issue, while my friend’s view centered on the person. I suppose both views are true, but I think God intended for us to prioritize the latter. I believe He wants us to heal one another not out of obligation, but compassion. Even if this is not everyone’s personal motivation, I want to thank all the nursing, pre-med, and occupational therapy assistant majors. Thank you all for helping us live our best lives.

If you would like to learn more about the OTA bachelor’s degree program at Huntington University, visit huntington.edu/OTA. If you are more interested in pre-med or nursing, visit huntington.edu/Biology-Pre-Med, huntington.edu/Nursing, or huntington.edu/Nursing/ABSN.