All posts tagged: occupational

Half of occupational therapists cannot provide right support

Half of occupational therapists cannot provide right support

Published by skeptic

More than half of occupational therapists say they are unable to provide the level or type of support children in their area need, a survey suggests. The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) also found less than two in five occupational therapists (OTs) said their teams were fully staffed. As part of its white paper reforms, the government announced the creation of a new “experts at hand” service, backed with £1.8 billion in funding over three years. Councils must use the funding to develop teams of education and health professionals including OTs, which schools can access for external support. General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders Pepe Di’Iasio said the survey showed “more evidence of the gulf between the planned experts at hand service and the resources that currently exist in the system”. Benefits of OTs The survey polled 527 of around 4,000 OTs working within schools. Fifty-six per cent said they are unable to provide the level or type of support children in their area need. And just 39 per cent of …

Occupational Therapist Says Kids Today Can Barely Sit In A Chair Without Falling

Occupational Therapist Says Kids Today Can Barely Sit In A Chair Without Falling

Published by Jenni Sidey

Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist, said she has seen an increase in parents’ complaints about kids falling out of chairs. Yeah, you heard that right. Kids are struggling to sit in chairs, and Hanscom thinks that it’s directly related to not spending enough time playing outside. Childhood has changed a lot over the years, especially with the creation of new technologies. When previous generations were growing up, there was pretty much nothing for them to do for fun other than go outside and play. Things are different now. Parents aren’t as quick to let their children go outside and have time for free play because of safety concerns, and a lot of kids just don’t want to go outside when they could play games on their tablet. It turns out that this lack of time to play and explore is actually causing a strange issue that experts are concerned about. An occupational therapist explained that many kids today struggle with the very simple task of sitting in a chair without falling. One parent asked …

I asked an occupational therapist why being on my feet all day makes my back hurt—here’s what she had to say

I asked an occupational therapist why being on my feet all day makes my back hurt—here’s what she had to say

Published by Jenni Sidey

Anyone who has worked in hospitality, healthcare or retail will probably agree that being on your feet all day can be painful. The odd thing is that it isn’t always your feet that feel it. I used to wear a good pair of walking shoes when I worked in retail, which kept my feet fatigue-free, but three hours into a shift, my lower back would be screaming. These days, I know that sitting for long periods can cause stiffness, but standing in one position for several hours—while I’m cooking one recipe after another for work—sometimes leaves me with even more aches. You may like I was curious about this, wondering if I was somehow standing wrong, so I asked occupational therapist, Kayleigh Little-Parks of Cape Concierge Physical Therapy for her opinion. Why does standing for long periods cause backache? “Staying in one position can be damaging to your muscles and joints, especially the hips,” says Little-Parks. She explains that repeatedly using the same muscles can cause damage to the muscle fibers. An upright posture without …