I hope tonights #occhat will be interesting for you. This is the first time that I have hosted the twitter session so please be patient with me. Before tonight’s session I thought it would be useful just to provide you a little bit of background information about myself.
Over the last 19 years I have had a number of different occupational therapy posts but I have tended to specialise in community practice with older people. I have a particular interest in how the built environment impacts on our ability to carry out the every day tasks we want and need to do. This interest led me to completing my MSc in accessibility and inclusive design at the University of Salford.
After completing my MSc I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to apply for a Ph.D. bursary and I am now 18 months into my research journey. My research is investigating how occupational therapists can use computer aided design to support their clinical reasoning and decision-making when planning housing modifications for older people.
One of the benefits, and challenges, of undertaken my Ph.D. has been the opportunity to revisit theoretical models of occupational therapy. As my research is based on the premise that housing modifications improve occupational performance it has been important to use theoretical models that support this idea, hence my interest in the PEO and PEOP models.
For me, the PEO and PEOP models provide an accessible way for me to explain what I do as an occupational therapist and how my treatment interventions help improve health and well-being. The models also help explain how the “environment” I work within influences the type of intervention I am able to offer, so rather than policies and criteria for the provision of equipment/adaptations being a constraint to practice they become part of the individuals occupational context, therefore part of the occupational therapy process.
So hopefully tonight we can explore the PEO and PEOP models in more detail by considering how they can support support both clinical practice and research. I have included a link to the previous #occhat blog which provides more information on the models, including a visual description.
Rachel
Dr Rachel Russell 