Throughout this session, I learned what social determinants of health really are. I had heard this term before but have never had a full understanding. I feel like the "social" aspects that are important to one's health are often overlooked as they are not the first things that come to mind when we hear "health." Social determinants include affordable housing, quality of education, availability of resources, public safety, and much more. I know these are all things that would have an extreme effect on my mental health and quality of life, so it is important for us to remember this as practitioners in regards to our clients.
With Professor Flick's lecture on health promotion, I gained a better understanding of "wellness" as well. I loved the example she used of the patient with diabetes who has recently had a toe amputated. It could be easy for us as OTs to think, "why does this patient need me for just an amputated toe?" But with our holistic approach, we should remember that we need to look at this client's health and wellness as a whole. Maybe this client had to have their toe amputated because he/she struggled with taking care of his/herself and participating in his/her ADLs which in turn put him/her in this position. Is there a barrier that we need to identify and decrease in order to improve this client's quality of life? Well we are the perfect people for the job!
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