This book is written primarily for occupational therapists and
occupational therapy students but will be of relevance to anyone working
with clients with rheumatoid disease. It is hoped that the text will
communicate the challenge faced by therapists to establish management
programmes appropriate to the identified needs and priorities of the
individuals with whom they work, the potential to utilize a wide range
of skills and the opportunity to contribute to the understanding of the
many unanswered questions which remain in relation to rheumatic
diseases. The aim of this book is to present an holistic approach to the
management of rheumatoid disease, considering first, the ways in which
rheumatoid disease can affect a person's life and then looking at the
approaches and techniques used by therapists to minimize these effects.
This approach has been chosen as it is fundamental to both the
philosophical basis of occupational therapy and the manage- ment of a
chronic progressive disease. An holistic approach considers the
physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of a person and
the ways in which these have been effected by an underlying disease
process. Each of the components are interrelated, illustrating the
complexity of establishing appropriate management programmes and
evaluating their effectiveness. The first two chapters consider the
effects of rheumatoid disease on clients and their families. An holistic
approach identifies the need for a diversity of skills to be available
to both the therapist and client.
