Abstract
The objective of this study was to clarify the actual condition of occupational therapy in the developing field of community-based rehabilitation by investigating through a questionnaire on what kinds of problems the occupational therapists engaging in communitybased rehabilitation have, and how they are coping with such problems. As a whole, “Do not use the term, patient, as a rule”was found to have been widespread, and “Doctors are taking little part in community based rehabilitation”was also recognized by community occupational therapists. In addition, “Community occupational therapy is not for treatments but services”, “Teamwork among multiple occupations is more difficult to obtain and maintain in a community than at a hospital”, “Assessment of both mental and physical functions cannot be sufficiently made, or enough information for the assessment is hardly available”, “The content of occupational therapy in communities is different from that at hospitals”, and“Instruments and fixtures required for training and duties are not sufficient”were also found as complaints of community occupational therapists. With increasing age and years of experience, community occupational therapists are exerting their ingenuity to establish good relations with multiple occupations. Quite a number of community occupational therapists were also found to be making efforts to inform the society of their existence and to promote a better general understanding of occupational therapy, to elevate themselves, and to establish the role of occupational therapy in community based rehabilitation. As for the nursing care insurance plan which will begin soon, community occupational therapists have vague uneasiness about predictable changes after its enforcement, and generations with longer experience appear to be taking the insurance more seriously.
