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News from Sweden November 2007

THE VALUE OF WORK On this year’s OT day we chose to put focus on the value of work. It is a challenging theme with many dimensions. It concerns us all in different ways. At the moment the political system in Sweden has a strong responsibility to create possibilities so that most people with or without illness or dysfunction, will be able to obtain work or have meaningful occupation.  The Minister of Labour plans that each and every one who wants to work should have the possibility to do so. There should be a job to go to, and everybody should feel needed and in demand. This is a binding declaration from the Minister.

Occupational Therapists meet people in their daily life who really want to feel needed and sought after. They want to be able to have a job that is adapted to their qualifications, tasks and working-hours. For this to become a reality a strong political policy is needed. It involves creating the economic requirements needed regarding the insurance system. A uniform definition of the concept ‘working capacity’ is required. The process of sick-listing must be quality as well as legally secured and uniform. A greater possibility to get good rehabilitation is needed and this must be performed by staff with adequate knowledge and competence. A large number of people with for instance rheumatic and neurological illnesses must be offered recurrent rehabilitation. Employers must be willing to hire persons with different abilities to a higher degree than today. Instead of looking at people’s dysfunctions they should rather look at their competence.

Most of us have met persons who have never entered the labour market or never had paid work. This goes for young people as well as for the intellectually disabled.  We must take a greater responsibility for these people. With support and the right kind of contributions many of them can do worthwhile and meaningful work.

Occupational Therapists have an important task to peform in the work area. However we must enter the process at an early stage, not too late as often happens.

A person who after rehabilitation now is back in work says: “I wish I had met an Occupational Therapist earlier. Then I wouldn’t have lost one and a half year without help and with constant pain”.

Please visit our web site http://www.fsa.akademikerhuset.se where at the bottom of the page you will find “Information in English, French and German”. In English you can, among other things, click for our Code of Ethics and our Quality Policy.