I recently had the opportunity to attend a conference at the Andrus Gerontology Center on “What’s Hot in Aging Research.” Some of this won’t be new to you, but I learned that demographic trends are such that, although the rate of Alzheimer’s cases is not changing, the number of people who are expected to have Alzheimer’s disease is exploding. That’s because the boomers are coming of geriatric age now! And, as you know, because of the work Dr. Laura Gitlin and her colleagues have been doing in establishing the efficacy of occupational therapy for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers, we are shovel ready to meet this societal need. Also, as the boomers become older, I learned from Dr. Margaret Gatz, Professor of Psychology at USC, that we may have some new challenges. For example, we have to think about whether boomers as they age will: 1) be prone to substance abuse; 2) show less resilience than older people in past cohorts; and 3) be more impaired because of the vascular risk factors associated with being overweight or having diabetes. We also have to wonder whether, as a profession, we will be able to meet the anticipated growing need for services. I think these issues and trends call out to us to develop the critical mass of well-qualified practitioners required. How about getting prepared!
The 2011 AOTA Conference was a blast—but it also gave me many take-aways. I would like to share them with you:
1. When Shonda Schilling, Conference Keynote, confessed that she was a bit nervous about giving her address, Curt Schilling, the famous baseball player and her husband, said, “Go big or go home!” What a quote—that’s what we all have to do!
2. In Dr. Ottenbacher’s plenary address on evidence-based medicine, I learned that in 2002 there were 1.24 million evidence-based medicine websites and in 2011 there are 13.6 million! Evidence-based medicine seems to be exponentially on the rise.
3. From the plenary address, I also learned that it was reported in The Lancet (2003) that 30-45% of patients were not receiving evidence-based care and that 20-25% of the care received was either not needed or potentially harmful.
4. From Dr. Betty Abreu’s Eleanor Clarke Slagle lecture, I was reminded that it is possible to describe in words the key elements of the therapeutic relationship, such as empathy, that significantly impact outcomes. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to hear such a scintillating lecture from one of our foremost master clinicians.
5. As a guest at the military-related ReseArch Development to Advance Rehabilitation, Reintegration, Resilience (RADAR3) meeting, I learned about the exciting projects that are being planned to demonstrate the value of occupational therapy in meeting the needs of our wounded warriors. I was surprised and delighted to learn about the considerable momentum the group sitting around the table has created toward the accomplishment of their well-thought-out research plan.
6. At the AOTF Dancing with the Stars Gala, I was reminded that I’d better get back to dance lessons with my husband John. This year’s competitors were beyond belief wonderful and I want to keep up with them. What a great occupation dancing is—it keeps you happy, physically strong, and healthy in so many ways. A great workout laden with meaning, music, and marvel.
7. From everywhere at the conference, I felt the unbridled enthusiasm of the students. And percentage wise, more students than ever were conference attendees—and this critical mass gave a special luster to every meeting, every reception, and every party. I foresee that each and every one of these emerging practitioners will attend every future AOTA conference and be there to celebrate the attainment of our Centennial Vision.
8. From the AOTPAC reception, I discovered a new aspect of myself—one that loves karaoke.
9. At the Program Directors’ meeting, I was so impressed with the caliber of our academic leadership and I remain so grateful to them for the wonderful work they are doing in educating and professionalizing our students.
10. And, finally, at the Representative Assembly I learned that despite differing opinions, occupational therapy practitioners continuously rise to the occasion by engaging in healthy and respectful debate—it is what opens us up, it is what changes us, and it is one of the key ingredients of an exciting lived experience.
The 2011 Annual Conference was certainly an exciting experience! Please share your take-aways with me.
The 2011 AOTA Conference was unbelievable. In fact, it was so invigorating and I was “flying so high” throughout it that it has taken a month for me to get back to earth and my old grounded self. In 2010, about 6,000 individuals attended the Annual AOTA Conference, but in 2011, over 7,700 did, and the conference hall was filled with high energy as we danced in the aisles before plenaries, soaked up valuable state-of-the-art information in the sessions and workshops we attended, celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of our peers, and let loose at the many parties and receptions that were embedded throughout the four days. As we march forward to achieve our Centennial Vision, our troops are amassing and pixel power is pulsating everywhere.
Occupational therapy is now also flying high—with our own special brand of professional comportment and commitment. I had the opportunity to hear from a development officer from a University who attended two health profession conferences this year—ours and another (I won’t disclose the name). He said our meeting was in stark contrast to the other: we were energized, they seemed passive. We were ebullient, they seemed desultory. We were euphoric, they seemed bland. In his eyes, the collective presence of occupational therapy practitioners was off-the-charts wonderful, as were the abundance of opportunities the conference offered.
Believe me, these days our profession has a special luster and it is because of each one of you.