Case Study OCC 516 ANATOMY AND PHYSIO CASE STUDY (EMMA) ASSIGNMENT WEST COAST UNIVERSITY

Case Study: Emma
Background
Emma currently resides in West Hollywood and lives with her sister and niece. Emma’s
support system consists of her sister, niece, and girlfriend. Emma also received physical therapy
(PT) and occupational therapy (OT) services during her stay at the rehabilitation facility. Emma
likes traveling and playing sports, ultimately living a very active lifestyle. Additionally, Emma
enjoys blogging and posting on TikTok about her experience with the spinal cord injury (SCI)
community.
As per the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework-4 (OTPF-4) (AOTA, 2020), age
may impact healthcare services. Emma as a 24-year-old is at the precipice of early adulthood.
During this age, most individuals learn more about self-identities, intimate and personal
relationships, and ultimately develop the prefrontal cortex (Cronin & Mandich, 2016). With
unforeseen injury, developmental goals of early adulthood may be stunted thus leading to limited
occupational performance and inadequate support to friends and loved ones (Cronin & Mandich,
2016). Furthermore, Emma may be experiencing copious amounts of stress due to environmental
changes and physical limitations. Conversely, being exposed to stressors at an earlier age may
facilitate a newfound sense of resilience as she progresses through later adulthood. Regardless,
therapist should facilitate emotional and physical coping skills to approach signs of stress.
Secondly, Emma’s support and relationships may also aid her therapy (AOTA, 2020).
Her support system consists of familial support and her partner. According to Roy (2011),
studies show that there is a correlation between social support and stress. Thus having more
positive social relationships can help cope with physical and environmental stressors. I