Community

Occupational therapy program development in times of scarce funding can be difficult, if not impossible, despite demonstrated need. This paper describes the strategies in one facility when staff looked to their community and to specific external sources of support in order to achieve program objectives. The facility and its programs will be described, as they expanded and developed, including examples of specific ways in which various persons and businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods were tapped to provide needed resources for training programs for special needs children, adolescents and young adults. In so doing, this staff also provided realistic avenues for successful adaptation of their students after they left the training school.     

Community nurseries

Community nurseries first came into existence in England in the early Seventies to meet the urgent needs of working mothers and young children. In their structure, their ideals and their operation, they seek to offer an alternative to more traditional forms of day care, and provide an important model for community action and development. This article describes their aims, and discusses some of their basic characteristics.     

Community nurseries

Community nurseries first came into existence in England in the early Seventies to meet the urgent needs of working mothers and young children. In their structure, their ideals and their operation, they seek to offer an alternative to more traditional forms of day care, and provide an important model for community action and development. This article describes their aims, and discusses some of their basic characteristics.     

Community nutrition

Scientific evidence has placed community nutrition among the front line strategies in health promotion. Traditional food habits have progressively changed in the last few decades. The combination of changes in food patterns and sedentary lifestyles have contributed to a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Efforts in community nutrition should now focus on three key aspects: nutrition education in schools and in the community, food safety and enhanced culinary skills in all age groups. School meals and other catering services provided at work or community sites should be consistent with the educational message. Catering services should ensure adequate nutritional supply, foster healthy eating practices and encourage participation in gastronomic culture and social learning. Food safety includes the procurement of a safe adequate food supply in sufficient amounts to cover the nutritional requirements of all individuals. It has become a priority for Public Health. Social changes along new scientific developments will introduce new demands into community nutrition and request a more important role for individually tailored advise. In order to face these challenges, community nutrition professionals need to be highly qualified and skilled.