Paradigm of Ergotherapy in Rehabilitation and Professional Reglamentation

Abstract

Well-being is the greatest social and economical value. Due to this „International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health“ was published by WHO in 2001. According to the classification it is recommended to consider personal factors, such as age, gender, education, lifestyle etc. when evaluating health. Occupational therapy is one of the newest areas in rehabilitation. Human being in occupational therapy is social process and each person needs a meaningful activity. Health and illness definition in occupational therapy is different from traditional medical view. Activity is necessary to satisfy human’s social economical needs. It has a great influence on a person’s health. A person is treated as “a patient” when there is disability in doing usual activity or proper selfcare due to certain reasons. In occupational therapy there is a point of view that activity dysfunction is caused by certain illness or trauma consequences, but it is also believed that activity disorder may cause illness or bad condition (e. g. hypokinesis may cause cardiovascular diseases). Thus, occupational therapy is related to activity. Moreover, illness defined as activity disability. The principle of occupational therapy is purposeful activity which is used in prevention of disorders, also in increasing adaptation skills. Study programme of occupational therapy is created to give quality education which gives a possibility to work independently in different institutions. The aim of the programme is to train specialists for occupational therapy activity who have good skills, critical reasoning and responsibility for work. Basic education components include theoretical knowledge, professional and technical skills as well as practical work. Nowadays the interest in occupational therapy is increasing despite the variety of other ways of treatment, also more effective medication is found. Occupational therapy is combined with other methods of treatment, also it is applied according to strictly differentiated, individualized and scientifically proved methods. In Lithuania occupational therapy is the young profession and implementation of occupational therapy is underestimated in spite of good experience of foreign countries and numerous scientific studies carried out on the use of occupational therapy.

Keywords: occupational therapy, rehabilitation, history.