Occupational therapy (Part I)

由於職業治療的哲理強調全人的治療，治療的媒介也著重在日常生活活動。
Occupational therapy emphasizes on activities of daily living and the philosophy of therapy is holistic care.

職業治療所在意的是，職能被分成三個主要範疇︰工作、自我照顧，以及玩樂與休閒。
Work, self-care, play, and leisure are the focuses of occupational therapy.

Field of therapy:
Physical injury or illness
Dysfunctional condition
Cognitive impairment
Psychosocial dysfunction
Mental illness
Developmental or learning disability

職業治療師透過不同的活動和治療，幫助病患者或有特殊需要的人士，增強體能及心智功能，發展日常生活或工作所需能力，協助他們重投家庭、工作和社會。
Occupational therapists help patients or people with special need to strengthen physical and mental ability by means of different kinds of activities and treatment. It develops the working ability and their activities of daily living are enhanced. It also helps them to re-enter to the family, career and society.

Occupational therapist: functional, activities of daily living, home environment
Physiotherapist: musculoskeletal

物理治療師是利用人體生理對物理刺激所作出的反應，治療病患和恢復身體活動功能。
By means of physical stimulation on human body, physiotherapists help patients to recover their function of body movement and treat their diseases.

兩者大致分別在於，物理治療師著重提升人的活動能力，職業治療師著重按照病人的生活或工作需要提供康復治療，而且還會協助提升病患者的心智功能。
Physiotherapist focuses on improving body movement ability of patients whilst occupational therapist provides rehabilitation treatment based on the need of daily living and work of patients. Besides, mental function is enhanced by occupational therapist.

If the interviewer asks me the reason of choosing occupational therapy instead of physiotherapy to study, it may be inappropriate to answer that occupation therapy is more holistic and it helps the old people with dementia. The interviewer may think that I suggest that physiotherapy coverage is not enough. It may also be inappropriate if I points out that my co-ordination of hands and feet is poor because it is also a necessary characteristic of an occupational therapist. I have attended the courses of physiotherapy assistant and occupational therapy assistant both. I also worked as a temporary occupational therapy assistant in a private company. Based on these experience, it may be better to answer that the career of occupation therapy is more suitable for me. But reasons have to be provided and I am still thinking on it. Furthermore, I can answer that I am not familiar with the working nature of a physiotherapist.   

職業治療師透過各項精心設計及具治療價值的活動及生活重整方法，促進病人在感官、四肢控制協調、感知概念、思維及社交、情緒各方面的康復，繼而提高他們在自我照顧、日常家居操作、工作及善用餘暇各方面的獨立能力，令他們早日重投社會，改善他們的生活質素。

認知評估︰專注力、記憶力、解決問題能力等

cognitive: thinking, reasoning, remembering

治療小組訓練︰
現實導向 (orientation of time, place and people) 小組
懷緬 (reminiscence) 治療小組
多感官 (multiple sensory organs) 治療小組

資料來源：
房協長者安居資源中心 (Housing Society Elderly Resources Centre)
香港老年學會 (Hong Kong Association of Gerontology)
職能治療概論 (ISBN: 9789866637957)