Jay MacDonald
Why did you choose occupational therapy as a career?
My mom told me that I should be an OT when I was 16 years old. I didn’t really listen to her at the time and went off to do undergrad. When I was going into my last year of my Kinesiology degree I was trying to decide what to study in a research masters. I looked up OT and it was love at first sight. I was blown away by the profession and all that OTs are able to do to enable people to participate in meaningful activities. I was excited by the creativity in OT and the potential for our profession.
What is your favourite thing about CAOT-BC?
The resources, learning opportunities and practice networks are my favourite things. I am in the occupational therapy and sexuality practice network and it is incredibly helpful. I strongly encourage people to join a practice network that is relevant to your practice area.
What has been your most interesting job?
I am starting a new job that is going to be very interesting! So far, the most interesting job has been Research, Education, and Practice Coordinator at Providence Health Care. It was a big portfolio and every single day I learned something new! Providence was also a great organization to work for and the OT’s are incredible. It was rare to hear an OT say “I can’t” and instead there was a lot of, “how can we make this work for our patient/client/resident”. The OTs always advocate for patients and work super hard, with some very challenging PEO fits, to get supports and services that work for clients. The problem solving we do at Providence, given that our population includes the Downtown East Side, is multidimensional and causes us to reflect on our own values and how those influence how we work with clients, many of whom lead much different lives than we do ourselves.
What has surprised you most about working as an OT?
Humour can be a great tool to use in health care. I tend to make jokes when I am anxious as a way to break the ice. There have been times in my career when a joke probably was not the wisest choice and if I was a student I might have been chastised, but having the whole health care team laugh with a family and patient, and consequently let go of pent up emotions, really helped everyone relax and have a real conversation about what needed to be done. When I am teaching, in meetings, working with clients, running groups, I find a bit of humour can put folks at ease and help focus. Hospitals can be pretty dreary places to be when you are a patient, everyone is very serious, so to be a bit of light in a patient’s day and to have a client look forward to their OT session, that is really rewarding and I think leads to better care.
What do you find most challenging about working as an OT?
Navigating the complexity of the health care system! I have worked with folks from low socioeconomic status for a significant portion of my career. They will know what they want, I will see what they need, and the challenge is how to navigate the complicated and ever expanding bureaucracy to put the supports and services in place for a client to achieve their occupational goals. I spend a lot of my time figuring out how to navigate the system and make it easier for OTs to find the resources that they need. Nothing is easy to find or navigate and it feels like new layers of forms, gate keeping, exclusion criteria, meetings, and blocked opportunities are put in place every day for our clients at PHC. The healthcare system favours folks from privileged backgrounds and if you are not from higher socioeconomic status and fit all the checkboxes, it can be next to impossible to get supports and services that you need. Thankfully at PHC we are committed to social justice and advocate hard for clients. While it is super challenging, the OT crew do an amazing job!
What do you think will change/shape practice over the next five years?
There are so many changes happening it is very hard to pick just one! Climate change is an environmental factor that we are going to have to take into consideration. Not only in terms of the heat we have experienced this summer, but also considering freeze/thaw cycles in some of BC’s colder communities and what that means for older adults slipping on ice or being trapped in their homes for the winter. The climate extremes that we are starting to experience are going to impact how we do OT. Technology has the potential to make our lives easier. It also has the potential to broaden the gap between folks from low socio-economic backgrounds and those of us who have privilege. Many of our standardized IADL assessments are starting to become irrelevant because they do not look at managing technology. This is an area that we need to quickly adapt to while also starting to think about how we can improve access to our services for those without the means to acquire their own technology. With so much virtual health now in place, I wonder how many people we are leaving behind because they don’t have the means to purchase technology to go to treatments.
What do you do when you aren't working?
Sports! I am a huge winter sports fan with skiing being my favourite. When I was a kid my dream was to be an Olympic alpine ski racer and I love to go fast!!! I have also cross country skied my whole life and it is a passion of mine. I also love tennis and am an avid player. I enjoy swimming, especially open water in the ocean. I love equestrian and if I won the lottery I would buy a horse and ride every day!
#OT365
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