cOnnecT with Charlene Gilroy- Member, CAOT-BC Advisory Committee

What made you choose OT as your career?

While doing my undergrad degree at Dalhousie University I noticed that the OT students were having a lot of fun, especially on wheelchair day. I looked into the profession and was really attracted to the practical aspect of the work.

Where have you worked over your career?

I started my career at a large tertiary care teaching hospital in Halifax, NS. Over the first five years I rotated through several caseloads gaining valuable experience. Then one day a letter arrived at our department asking if anyone would be interested in a four month job exchange in Prince George, BC. I said, “Why not!”, and packed my bags. Nineteen years later I am still in Prince George having worked my way through inpatient and outpatient services before moving to home and community care twelve years ago.

What has been your most interesting job?

I think the last five years working with clients with a developmental disability and their families and caregivers have been the most interesting. It has definitely been the most challenging and the most fun. We laugh a lot and I never stop learning.

What has surprised you most about working as an OT?

I am constantly surprised at how complicated a simple piece of equipment can be. Finding something that meets the needs of your clients and their caregivers and something that they will want to incorporate into their day takes a great deal of time.

What do you find most challenging about working as an OT?

Although I appreciate the challenge of the constant problem solving in OT I sometimes wish for one day where I have all the answers right at my fingertips, just one day, that’s all.

What's the best/worst thing to happen since you started working with CAOT-BC?

I am a very recent addition to the CAOT-BC advisory committee. The best thing so far is to have had the opportunity to meet face to face with the very dynamic committee members for some strategic planning. The worst thing is worrying that my biography will be long and boring.

What do you like about OT?

I love that the profession continues to attract dynamic, creative and energetic people. Have you met those new OT graduates and MOT students yet?

You are a volunteer for CAOT-BC. Why do you do it?

After almost twenty five years in the profession I thought it was time to broaden my perspective and learn more about provincial and national issues. I support CAOT-BC because, as a wise manager recently said, “your association supports you”.

What is your personal philosophy about volunteering and giving back to the profession?

Like everything else, I think you need to keep it in balance. Volunteer when you have the time and energy. Any little bit helps and everyone has something important to contribute.

Tell me about someone who has influenced your OT practice?

I think of a lady that I worked with over the years who taught me skills that I use every day. She had Multiple Sclerosis and was, among many things, a nurse, a mom, a homemaker and a farmer’s wife. She told me a story about when she canoed the Bowron Lake chain  on her honeymoon and insisted they carry a 10 pound bag of flour throughout the entire trip even though they had no planned use for it (always be prepared). When she was on the rehab unit she came to hand group and asked if she could do some play dough activities. She wanted to keep her hands in shape for kneading bread when she returned home (keep on doing). We giggled as we huddled in the small hospital bathroom trying one thing after another in an attempt to solve the problem of how she would manage her pants to toilet independently when home alone. She decided it would be better to modify a wraparound skirt (be open to an alternate plan). She was sad about not being able to operate her sewing machine any longer but she could still manage some hand sewing. I showed her a vest pattern which had only one seam at each shoulder. She arrived at a follow-up clinic wearing the most beautiful handmade fleece vest, complete with a blanket stitch edging (never underestimate the power of suggestion). She has passed on now but the partial roll of red duct tape she gave me years ago sits in the place of honor at the top of my gear shelf (duct tape comes in colors other than silver).   

What might (someone) be surprised to know about you?

I dream of one day having a black beautifully coiffed standard poodle. This is definitely not your traditional backcountry dog but I hear they are intelligent.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about becoming an OT?

I would tell them that they will never be bored and they will always find work. I would tell them that if they became an OT they could travel throughout the world, constantly learn and feel like they have switched careers simply by starting work in a new area. I would tell them that the only downside is explaining what you do for a living. It can be a party conversation stopper so they better have some good back up lines.

What do you think will change/shape practice over the next five years?

I think the ageing baby boomers and the ongoing financial crises will have a huge effect. We will be working hard to keep people at home and doing more with less.

What's it like to be a volunteer?

So far so good!

How would (someone) describe you?

I have been told that I am a hard worker who demands perfection and asks a lot of questions. I hope someone would also say that I have a great sense of humor and they notice that I am mellowing with age.

What do you do when you aren't (working, volunteering)?

You can usually find me in the kitchen baking up a storm or in the garden coaxing vegetables to life, always under the watchful eye of a geriatric orange pussycat. Most weekends I am chasing my husband up some mountain, often with a climbing rope, generally with some type of gear strapped to my feet.