ACTIVITY ANALYSIS 2

Explain one of the activity analysis that can be taken.

            One of the activities that can be used to apply the terminologies of activity analysis is make a cup of hot coffee. Components of the task include; a cup is on the table with the coffee solute, put hot water into the cup, take the spoon and gently stir the ingredients in that cup with an anticlockwise repeated rotation, put a few of warm water into the cup and then stir again gently with an anticlockwise repeated rotation, sit down on the chair and drink. Steps of activity being analysed is stirring the coffee. Equipment and supplies necessary for this activity is a cup, a spoon, a coffee sachet, hot and warm water, table and chair.

            A sink and other kitchen materials should be available in the work area. There should be ample room around the work table so that the performer is not crowded and can move freely between the table and the drawer up over the head of the performer on the wall of the kitchen. Lighting should be adequate for clear visualization of equipment involve and work area. Position of the performer in relation to the work surface and equipment: The performer is standing beside the table, at a comfortable distance for reaching and manipulating the tools involved. The cup is centred in front of the performer, and the spoon and hot/warm water bowl are right and near the cup. Starting position of the performer: Standing erect; shoulders are slightly abducted, bringing both hands to the center work place; elbows are flexed respectively. Movement of pattern used to perform the steps under analysis: Thumb radial abduction, flexion of the metacarpophalangeal (MP) and interphalangeal (IP) joints of index and middle fingers; flexion and extension of thumb while stirring. A fine motor or manual skill is use when the performer hold the spoon while stirring the coffee. After a moment, the spoon is release and the action of stirring is stop for a while.

            Tactile input or need for discrimination of temperature or texture is use when the performer needs to put hot/warm water into the cup, taking the spoon, a cup, and a sachet of coffee. She need to determine the temperature of the water either it is hot or vice versa. For proprioceptive joint motion and position sense, the performer received sensory modality by being aware of joint position and motion during stirring. Vestibular (balance, sense of body, head motion) can be received by maintaining standing posture while performing activity. Visual sensory modality is received when the performer seeing the equipment such as a cup, a spoon and also the environment she involve in. Olfactory smell of sensory modality received by smelling a slight odor of coffee. Pain sensory modality is received while the performer reaching out the hot water to be put into the cup.

            The directions of making a cup of coffee is complex because the performer need to identify a lot of different types of things such as a cup, water, a spoon, a sachet of coffee where all of these have variety in shape, colour, texture and temperature respectively. The performer need to memorize the stirring activity as it is use frequently in this activity. Concentration and attention required is moderate. The performer focuses on the cup and knows when the spoon slightly hit the wall of the cup. The repeated sequence of stirring is in an anticlockwise direction.

The activity analysis involve in making a cup of coffee in this activity focuses on the activity of stirring and determining the temperature of the water. This activity is vital for the performer to distinguish between different types of temperature, texture and smell. The action of stirring is one of the steps to be taken before the performer to have a drink.  Thus, the act of stirring can help the performer to engage in an activity of daily living (ADL) like eating. According to American Occupational Therapy Association (2007), eating is the ability to keep and manipulate food or fluid in the mouth and swallow it; eating and swallowing are often used interchangeably. The understanding of the activity analysis of this activity can be expand by identifying the properties inherent in a given occupation, task or activity, as well as the skills, abilities and capacities required to complete it.

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