Relevance Of MOHO To Occupational Therapy

Relevance of MOHO to Occupational Therapy, Healthcare, and Society

The history behind MOHO and how it was developed is important to know to have a full understanding of how this model relates to occupational therapy, health care, and society. MOHO has a holistic approach and can not only be applied to occupational therapy, but also to healthcare and society in general. Society and culture are built upon and require human occupation for their maintenance (Burke & Kielhofner, 1980). In the past, healthcare was largely focused on biological components and the inner-workings of a human. Therefore, occupation was often over looked. Utilizing the MOHO allows for perception of an individual as a whole. An important aspect of MOHO is viewing individuals

For example, an occupational therapist treating a client with multiple sclerosis who is constantly experiencing fatigue will use his or her interests as the primary treatment. This client wants to become integrated back into his or her community. However, they cannot find the motivation or confidence to do so because of the continuous exhaustion he or she feels. This exhaustion has become an occupational performance issue and can severely interrupt the client’s daily routines. Through use of an assessment called the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool, an occupational therapist can observe that the individual is very religious and loves to sing. The occupational therapist will then incorporate these interests into treatment and suggest that the client volunteers to be a part of the choir at his or her church. This will allow the client to regain self-efficacy as well as become more involved in the community, one of the stated goals, by participating in something they enjoy. Interacting with individuals that have similar interests will help create a social environment and provide social support for the client, which is an important aspect of MOHO (Boyt Schell et. al,

The physical environment of a client is also considered when using MOHO. This model recognizes the influence that spaces, objects, and people have on one’s ability to engage in occupations (Asselin et. al, 2010). Selecting an environment that matches the individual’s needs and interests will enhance the realization of his or her values which can improve occupational engagement. An occupational therapist could recommend that the individual with multiple sclerosis goes grocery shopping at a smaller store in order to decrease the exhaustion he or she feels while engaging in this