Group items tagged

I am posting this article on the signs of elder abuse as it will be our ethical responsibility to report abuse if we see these signs in the workplace. The article is easy to read and quick to point out 5 types of abuse and what to look for in each type. The fist is physical abuse and the signs for these are bruises, broken bones, burns, abrasions, pressure marks, and odd explanations of injuries from staff or caregivers. The next type of abuse is neglect and the signs for this are dirty cloths, soiled diapers, bedsores, unusual weight loss, unusually messy home that wasn't before, and lack of DME. The next type of abuse is verbal or emotional abuse and the warning signs associated include, withdrawal, unusual behavior, nervous behavior around caregiver, strained or tense relationship with caregiver or staff, forced isolation from family or caregiver, and caregivers or staff that snap or yell. The article also describes signs of sexual abuse and signs of financial exploitation. As OTs it will be our duty and ethical responsibility to report elder abuse. Home health and SNF are probably the two most prominent areas of practice that might see this problem.

This study aimed to identify the factors influencing ethical behavior of pediatric occupational therapists at work. The researchers conducted a study of 12 currently practicing pediatric occupational therapists. Researchers interviewed these therapists with questions regarding factors affecting ethical beliefs and ethical behaviors. From the interviews, 4 main themes were revealed: 1. organizational factors (some participants believed lack of human resources or therapy space impacted ethical behaviors), 2. therapist related factors (some therapists believed that things such as self esteem, competence, family/home life all impacted ethical behaviors), 3. client family issues (some therapists thought that a child's family/parents could impact a therapists ethical behaviors. For example, a parent may instruct a therapist NOT to stop a child for crying, versus other parents instructing the therapist to punish the child for crying), and 4. Social factors (some participants believed that social factors, such as an overall societal decline in ethical behaviors, such as not having financial support systems or insurances not covering occupational therapy and thus causing for mistakes. In another perspective, participants pointed out that in the past if a patient could not pay for services the therapist would still help them, but now therapy can only be provided if they can pay for it or have enough insurance.

Guidelines to the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics This is a really handy resource that provides a quick glance at the different elements of the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics. It lists ten sections of professional behaviors under the code of ethics and each have a subset of behaviors which are appropriate under that section. The first professional behavior listed is honesty. "Professionals must be honest with themselves, must be honest with all whom they come in contact with, and must know their strengths and limitations" (AOTA, 2005). The second behavior listed is communication. "Communication is important in all aspects of occupational therapy. Individuals must be conscientious and truthful in all facets of written, verbal, and electronic communication" (AOTA, 2005). The third area of professional behavior is ensuring the common good. "Occupational therapy personnel are expected to increase awareness of the profession's social responsibilities to help ensure the common good" (AOTA, 2005). The fourth professional behavior is competence. "Occupational therapy personnel are expected to work within their areas of competence and to pursue opportunities to update, increase, and expand their competence" (AOTA, 2005). The fifth area of professional behavior is confidential and protected information. "Information that is confidential must remain confidential. This information cannot be shared verbally, electronically, or in writing without appropriate consent. Information must be shared on a need-to-know basis only with those having primary responsibilities for decision making" (AOTA, 2005). The sixth professional behavior area is conflict of interest. "Avoidance of real or perceived conflict of interest is imperative to maintaining the integrity of interactions" (AOTA, 2005). The seventh professional behavior area is impaired practitioner. "Occupational therapy personnel who cannot competently perform their duties after reasonable accommodati

This article discusses an ethical dilemma occupational therapy practitioners may be confronted with during the course of their career. This particular article discusses the conflict of interest occupational therapists may face when they are providing services to a patient and have a financial interest in selling products that patients may benefit from utilizing to maximize their independence in ADLs. Any product transactions should be considered from a business, professional, and legal standpoint to ensure that ethical standards are upheld. Participating in any behaviors that may negatively reflect on the professional standards of conduct outlined by the American Occupational Therapy Association should be avoided. In order to determine whether product transactions are appropriate an occupational therapist should answer the following questions: what types of products are being sold, is the item related to the patient's therapy goals, if so should the product be sold to the patient, and should the therapist hold ownership in the company from which the product is being sold?