April / May / June • Issue 2 • 2019
communiqué
THE
Illinois Occupational Therapy Assocation
In This Issue
President’s Address
Page 2
Sustainability and
Occupational Therapy
Pages 5-6
Student Reflections
on Fieldwork in
Developmental
Disabilities Settings
Pages 7-10
Toilet Training Among
Young Children with
Autism: What is OT’s
role?
Pages 11-13
New Legislation &
Emerging Practices
Impacting Home and
Community Health
Practices
Pages 14-16
Promoting Clients’ Self-
Determination
Pages 17-18
Mentoring
Page 19
Student Voice
Pages 20-23
Theresa Christopher, OTS-II
Lisa Knecht-Sabres, DHS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Role in
Holistically Treating Patients Who Internalize
Osteoarthritis as a “Natural Part of Aging”
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common
type of arthritis (Doherty, Arden, Bijlsma, &
Hunter, 2016). OA currently affects over 30
million adults in the United States (Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC],
2018). Due to the increasing population of
older adults in the United States, there will be
approximately 78.4 million adults diagnosed
with arthritis by 2040 (CDC, 2018).
Moreover, by 2040, roughly 34.6 million
adults will report difficulties in their daily
activities due to arthritis symptoms (CDC,
2018). Individuals with OA often report
difficulties with gripping and manipulating
items, reaching, sitting for extended periods
of time, lifting, completing household chores,
climbing stairs, bending, and kneeling
(CDC, 2018; Stamm, Pieber, Crevenna, &
Dorner, 2016). Consequently, individuals
may experience difficulty performing
numerous Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
(IADLs; Stamm et al., 2016.) Furthermore,
OA symptoms are known to impede one’s
roles in life such as being a volunteer, worker,
or grandparent (CDC, 2018). In addition
to the physical ramifications of OA, there
are also psychological comorbidities such
as depression and anxiety, which can also
negatively impact occupational performance
during ADLs, IADLs, work, leisure, and
social participation
(CDC,
2018;
Sharma,
Kudesia,
Shi, & Gandhi, 2016;
Stamm et al., 2016).
Due
to
the
increasing number
of
older
adults
with OA and the
widespread physical
and
psychological
impact that OA can
have on occupational
performance,
occupational therapy
practitioners should
play a prominent
role in assessing
and treating clients
diagnosed with OA.
Occupational therapy practitioners are able to
empower individuals with arthritis to live life
to its fullest (Frost & Harmeyer, 2011). For
example, occupational therapy practitioners
are able to identify ways that individuals
are able to compensate for their limitations
and/or are able to identify ways that the
environment and meaningful activities can
be modified so that individuals with OA are
able to continue to do the things that they
want and need to do.
Continued on Page 3