First Day of Fieldwork

September 24, 2012
by Amber

Fieldwork What are OS/OT?

Last week I began my level one fieldwork experience at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. Each semester, our courses are focused on a particular practice area of occupational therapy: adult physical rehabilitation, pediatrics, or mental health. To compliment this coursework, we have the opportunity to spend one day per week at a fieldwork site in that practice area. This semester I am in the adult physical rehabilitation immersion, and was lucky enough to be placed at the top rehabilitation hospital in the Western United States. Rancho Los Amigos is situated on a beautiful campus in Downey, and has a long history. In 1888, it was known as the Los Angeles County “Poor Farm.” In the 1950s, it was a respiratory center for polio patients. Today, the hospital helps patients with disabilities regain skills and learn techniques to accomplish basic activities of daily living, and return to work or school if possible.

I was placed in an outpatient unit that specializes in treating people who have sustained spinal cord injuries. My role was to observe an occupational therapist, and potentially do some hands-on interaction with the patients. The first patient of the day was a middle-aged man who had been injured in a fall at work. He used a wheelchair and had extreme weakness in his upper body. It was his third visit with the occupational therapist, and we worked on activities to strengthen his upper extremities. He really pushed himself, and it was wonderful to see the slow progress he was making. Later that day, I got to observe and use the driving rehabilitation equipment, and spend the afternoon in the stroke rehabilitation unit. I am very excited to continue my fieldwork and learning experience at Rancho Los Amigos.

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