Abstract
Supporting clients and their families to live ordinary lives lies at the heart of occupational therapy. But an ordinary life—no matter who is living it—is full of risks, and risks often make us a little anxious. What if I, as a practitioner, encourage a client to take a risk and something undesirable does happen? Will I have shirked my duty of care? Not all experiences we label risky lead to undesirable outcomes. Some simply involve challenges: pushing people beyond their comfort zone so they can achieve more than ever before. Self-esteem is born out of meeting challenges; so is respect. In supporting clients and families to meet the challenges of an ordinary life, we balance duty of care with dignity of risk.
AOTA Taxonomy:
across the lifespan,
balance deficits and fall risks,
environmental factors,
groups and populations,
habilitation and rehabilitation,
health promotion,
home and community settings,
interventions to support occupations,
leisure,
play,
prevention, health and wellness,
private practice in an emerging setting,
schools, early intervention, and community education settings,
values, beliefs, and spirituality
Copyright © 2024 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
2024
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