daily activities

Chapter 8. A Story That Remains Open.

There is a particular temptation at the end of rehabilitation to look for a sentence that will close everything. The person has recovered. The treatment is finished. The goal has been reached. Life can now return to normal. It is a satisfying way to describe recovery because it gives the story a proper ending, and […]

Chapter 7. How Life Changes When We Change Not the Person, but Their Activities and Environment.

There is a moment in rehabilitation when the usual question begins to sound slightly strange. A person says, “I need to get stronger,” or “I need to become more independent,” or sometimes simply, “I need to get back to normal.” The expectation is almost always directed toward the person. The body should become stronger. The […]

Chapter 6. What an Occupational Therapist Notices Before the Person Does.

People usually come to an occupational therapist with a problem that has already acquired a name. The shoulder hurts. The hand has become weak. Walking takes too much effort. Dressing has become difficult. Work is exhausting. There is trouble concentrating, sleeping, cooking, getting through the morning without needing to lie down. The person has usually […]

Chapter 5. Why Rest Does Not Always Restore Energy.

There are evenings when a person finally gets what they have been waiting for all day. The door is closed. The phone is somewhere nearby but, for once, nobody is calling. There is food in the kitchen, the work is over, and there is nothing that absolutely has to be done in the next ten […]

Hand Osteoarthritis: Massage, Exercises, and Practical Ways to Reduce Discomfort.

Pain and stiffness in the hands can make surprisingly ordinary things difficult. Opening a jar, turning a key, holding a cup, using a phone or simply making a fist may begin to require more effort than it used to. With osteoarthritis of the hands, the problem is not always severe pain. Sometimes it is stiffness […]

An Occupational Therapist’s Perspective: Sometimes It Isn’t Work That Drains Us. It’s the World We’ve Learned to Live In

For a long time I believed people when they told me why they were exhausted. They usually had an answer ready before I even asked. “It’s my job. I never have enough time. My life has become too busy.” The explanation always sounded reasonable. Sometimes almost rehearsed, as though it had already been repeated dozens […]