Introduction
The practice that aims at promoting health by providing individuals with the opportunity to perform important and helpful tasks is called occupational therapy. The professionals in this fieldwork with individuals who suffer from different disabling conditions. Such individuals include the mentally challenged, the physically challenged, those with developmental problems and emotional issues. They provide avenues that ensure that the client fully recovers and maintains good health.
Article review
The articles provided show aspects of occupational therapy and what therapists are doing to ensure that the unfortunate individuals lead a better life. The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (COAT) is one such organization that aims at enriching the lives of such individuals by providing solutions to some of the challenges facing them. For example, they recommend that health information should be written in plain language (rather than sophisticated literature) to support equitability in the access of health information by all individuals. This would ensure that even those individuals who have low literacy levels would be able to comprehend easily and get assistance like the literate ones.
COAT has developed strategies to address the issue of communication problems by advocating the use of simple (plain) language in the presentation and organizing of the health information. This body of professional therapists recognizes that illiteracy or low literacy is a major threat to the health of Canadians. The older adults are the main victims of this unfortunate happening. Through occupational therapy, the therapists ensure that the individuals are assisted in the understanding, interpretation and application of the written and oral information. This is necessary for the clients to go through the day-to-day tasks effectively. This also helps them become independent and have good self-esteem.
The organization ensures that all its written material reaching the general public is in plain language and can be easily understood by even the less literate. To be aware of their level of literacy, the organization ensures that it collaborates with clients of all kinds and identifies techniques that would help make communication easier. They have discovered that the use of clear verbal communication enables clients to understand health information much more easily. COAT has understood the link that exists between health and literacy and has formed partnerships with other bodies to raise awareness about this issue. This would make the occupational therapists and other related professionals knowledgeable on this issue and make their work easier and more effective.
Being literate in terms of Health care means being able to read, interpret and act upon health information. Those people who have low literacy skills face problems when trying to access health information and services. There are also the indirect effects of low literacy. They include unhealthy living conditions, poverty, unhealthy environments and high-stress levels. However, COAT has made their work easier by ensuring that all health information is written and communicated in plain language for all individuals from different cultures, ages and geographic locations to comprehend and access health facilities.
Conclusion
Ensuring perfection for all is important for any nation. Different individuals have different abilities, and this affects their levels of health. Those who are literate and can understand health information can access health facilities and get assistance. However, those who have low literacy levels may have problems understanding some of the written health information. Therefore, occupational therapy is necessary to ensure equity in access to health services. COAT has ensured this by ensuring that all health information is written and communicated in plain language and clear verbal communication.
References
ABC Canada. (2005). International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS). Report summary. ABC Canada, 1-5.
Ad Hoc Committee on Health Literacy for the Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association. (1999). Health literacy: Report of the Council on Scientific Affairs. Journal of the American Medical Association, 281(6), 552-557.
Canadian Public Health Association (1998). Easy Does It! Plain Language and Clear Verbal Communication Training Manual. Ottawa, ON: CPHA.
Government of Canada (1999). Toward a Healthy Future. Second report on the health of Canadians. Ottawa, ON: Health Canada Publications.
Griffin, J., McKenna, K., & Tooth, L. (2006). Discrepancy between older clients’ ability to read and comprehend and the reading level of written educational materials used by occupational therapists. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 60(1), 70-80.
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Statistics Canada. (2005). Building on our Competencies: Canadian results of the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALLS). Web.
National Literacy and Health Program. (2006). NLHP Literacy and health fact sheet. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Public Health Association.
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2003). How does literacy affect the health of Canadians? Web.