Blog Post Challenge 2: Health Promotion

“a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”

This is how the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health.

In professor Flick’s lecture, she discussed the importance in health promotion in maximizing physical, mental and social well-being. Occupational therapists have a major role in health promotion. Because being able to participate in your occupations brings balance to your life, your health is being maximized. Prevention is the basis of health promotion. I think that pretty much makes occupational therapists responsible for promoting health to prevent illness and disease.

I took a health promotion class in undergraduate school and had the opportunity to put it into practice. I interned at a local non-profit organization that advocated for the underserved in the Chattanooga area. The organization worked with individuals directly in helping them find jobs, manage their money, and other things they needed to participate in. I helped in implementing a walking group for the clients targeted at improving their physical and social health. I also created a bulletin board that promoted healthy eating habits and exercise.

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Neuro Note 1: Me Before You

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Neuro Note 5: Still Alice

I chose to watch Still Alice for my last neuro note because Alzheimer's was the last topic we discussed in class. I have found it interesting and helpful for my learning during the course of class to watch, read, or listen to something that relates back to the most recent subject we have discussed. For much of my life, when I have heard the term Alzheimer's, my immediate thought is of an older person losing their memory. I associate this with Alzheimer's because that was the experience I had with my grandmother and similar stories that have been shared with me. The film Still Alice gives a different perspective of the disease. Alice is a professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at a younger age than the typical diagnostic age. She learns that the type she has is familial Alzheimer's which is a type we discussed in class, meaning that it is genetic and her children have a 50% chance of having the gene. The film gives an interesting view of Alzhe...

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