Certified Occupational Therapist Wins Prestigious NBCOT Innovation Award
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
This press release was re-posted with permission from the The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Gaithersburg, MD: The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT®) announces Sira Botes, OTR/L, CHT, CDP, a certified occupational therapist from Alachua, FL, has won the 2023 NBCOT Innovation Award. This award recognizes certified occupational therapy (OT) practitioners who demonstrate the delivery of an evidence-based, effective, and innovative program or intervention that enhances the quality of life for a person or persons.
Sira received the NBCOT Innovation Award for creating the Botes Memory Method™, a unique clinical pathway for evaluating and providing interventions to clients with dementia in various settings. She was nominated for the award by Chiung-ju Liu, PhD, OTR/L, FGSA, and Janie Gant, COTA/L. Sira’s idea for the Botes Memory Method™ stemmed from realizing the struggles health care providers face when identifying dementia-related functional issues and developing goals and interventions to address them. This left caregivers, family members, and clients with many challenges related to dementia care. The Botes Memory Method™ addresses these problems by cultivating a culture that focuses on improving the quality of life of clients with dementia through meaningful engagement, independence, and aging-in-place services. This standardized, evidence-based approach evaluates the client’s executive function and identifies their cognitive level. The evaluation guides the development of a care plan that aligns with the characteristics of the client’s cognitive level. Each level has specific educational resources and interventions to increase the knowledge and skill sets of every person involved in the client’s care—clinicians, caregivers, family, and the client. The Botes Memory Method™ is unique in that each cognitive level is given the name of a flower, known as the Memory Bouquet™, which creates a universal language of dementia care. This allows everyone to understand and anticipate clinical needs and engage with each client regardless of their cognitive level. The Botes Memory Method™ has become the preferred dementia care pathway for one of Florida’s largest home care agencies. It is also currently implemented in over 15 senior living communities.
Sira earned her national OT certification in 1996. She is the creator and founder of Botes Memory Method LLC, and Door of Hope Dementia Consultants. She is the Director of Dementia Care and Occupational Therapy Services for Concierge Home Care. Sira is also a certified hand therapist and a Certified Dementia Practitioner®.
For more information about the NBCOT Innovation Award, visit www.nbcot.org/awards.
About NBCOT
The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT®) is a national not-for-profit organization that provides certification to over 218,000 occupational therapy professionals. NBCOT develops, administers, and continually reviews its certification process based on current and valid standards that provide reliable indicators of competence of occupational therapy practice. Above all else, our mission is to serve the public interest. Initial certification from NBCOT is a requirement for licensure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. We also work with state regulators and employers to provide information on credentials, professional conduct, and regulatory issues. NBCOT’s certification programs have received and maintained accreditation from the International Accreditation Service (IAS) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Contact: Angela Macauley / [email protected] / 301-944-2104