Group items tagged

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

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.