Kyoko Nishimoto
International Affairs Department,
Japanese Association of Occupational Therapists

The Japanese Association of Occupational Therapists (JAOT) was set up in 1966, and joined the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) in 1972. In March this year, JAOT published a statement on the situation in Ukraine, alongside the statement issued by WFOT. Regarding COVID-19, we made a “Manual on COVID-19 infection prevention measures” and videos for our members, detailing basic infection prevention measures and concrete steps to take; and we carried out a survey of practical examples of occupational therapy for COVID-19 patients, as well as a survey on the psychological and physical impacts of COVID-19 and the responses at the facilities with which our members are affiliated.

(Fig. 1) Numbers of COVID-19 clusters in Japan

Moreover, our collaboration with occupational therapists in various Asian countries, which has been taking place since 2014, has been strengthened even further, and we are holding an “Asian Occupational Therapy Associations Exchange Meeting" at which members from each country come together every other year. At these exchange meetings, we discuss each country’s occupational therapy situation, academic studies, and education. The most recent meeting was held online in September 2021. Occupational therapists from six countries and regions – Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan – presented on the theme of “Initiatives in clinical settings, education, and mental health during COVID-19”. I and a colleague reported from Japan on “COVID-19 measures in clinical settings”. We at the Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, to which I belonged, were among the first in the country to accept and begin to treat COVID-19 patients after the outbreak of the disease. The treatment and rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients were carried out under strict infection prevention measures such as zoning (division of wards into “clean” and “infectious” areas), personal protective equipment, and hand washing. Also, it has become clear that about as many COVID-19 clusters have emerged at facilities for the elderly and medical institutions in Japan as at restaurants and schools (Fig. 1), and these clusters have made it difficult to provide sufficient nursing care and rehabilitation to the people at these facilities who need these services. We reiterated the importance of infection prevention measures by all medical and nursing care personnel.

In addition, the reports from each country talked about how COVID-19 had reduced the study and clinical training opportunities for occupational therapy students, and robbed people undergoing rehabilitation, elderly people with dementia, or children with physical or mental disabilities of opportunities to go outside with their therapists. Occupational therapists (OTs) saw this situation as a chance to switch their classes over to an online format or to stream videos of exercises which people in need of rehabilitation could carry out at home on YouTube and other platforms, based on the instructions for exercise and daily activities which they were already giving (Fig. 2).

(Fig. 2) Report from OTs from South Korea

Meanwhile, the presentation from the Philippines introduced online examinations. When leaving the home was restricted due to the spread of COIVD-19 and people were unable to receive outpatient rehabilitation services, OTs or physical therapists (PTs) evaluated their physical functions and walking ability over video calls, and gave them advice on exercises via their screens. We were able to identify with many of the ways in which new initiatives had been started during the pandemic, or the format of existing ones adapted in order to continue them, and so the meeting was a valuable opportunity.

Finally, JAOT will hold the 56^th Japanese Occupational Therapy Congress in September this year, on the topic of “Occupational therapy to create a sustainable society”. We are looking forward to reports about activities to ensure that no-one is left behind in the relationships between OTs and elderly people or those with physical or mental disabilities, community-based integrated care systems and other aspects of local communities, or the world; and on initiatives related to achieving the SDGs.