ILOTA Communique December 2017 Communique | Page 4

Jamie Angell, OTR/L
Katie Nagy, OTR/L QMHP
Jamie Rotter, OTR/L, QMHP
Finding Purpose through Occupational Engagement,
Motivation, and Coffee!
In a flash of an eye, Sam’s* life was turned upside
down. He lost his job, lost his home, and lost his sense of
purpose and life direction. During this time, he reported
experiencing symptoms of depression, stating, “I can feel
like there is no way out. Just hopeless. Down. Trapped.”
Sam’s journey led him to be admitted to a nursing
home where he lived for three years. Sam is diagnosed
with schizoaffective disorder, self-reports symptoms
of depression and anxiety, is legally blind, but prides
himself on being independent and self-sufficient.
While residing in the nursing home, Sam was offered
limited opportunity to be independent. The staff cleaned
his room, washed his laundry, prepared his meals, brought
him his medication and made sure he was seen regularly
by a physician and psychiatrist. He was not able to leave
the facility without a staff escort, and was limited to
staying in his room or sitting in the courtyard. In this
dependent environment, personal responsibility and
self-determination was stripped and difficult to re-learn.
Sam was eventually linked to a community behavioral
health organization, Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare, for
possible transition to an apartment in the community
through the Colbert Consent Decree. The nursing
home staff was uncertain about Sam’s ability to live in
the community, and before making the jump to living
in an apartment on his own, Sam had to re-learn and
develop independent living skills to be successful.
The occupational therapists at Trilogy had the unique
opportunity to provide skill building prior to Sam’s
transition to living in the community. The OT facilitated
opportunities for Sam to engage in the everyday tasks
he was not afforded the opportunity to engage in in
his restrictive environment. The OT engaged him in
community activities, social skill building through
interactions with community members, and IADLs such
as grocery shopping, money management, and laundry.
The OT supported Sam in developing safe ways to prepare
meals in our fully functioning “practice apartment,” and
*The client’s name has been changed to protect his privacy
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identified available activity modifications to support
increased safety and independence in the kitchen. Before
Sam was ready to take on the day, like so many of us, he
needed a cup of coffee to get going. The OT focused on
community mobility, by increasing his comfort navigating
to local coffee shops, grocery stores, community parks,
and supported the development of strategies to navigate
the sidewalks, and crosswalks. Sam benefitted from
strategies to decrease impulsive behavior while navigating
the community and the opportunity to problem solve
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