We often think of occupational therapy as something young people receive to assist with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. Many occupational therapists help children, but young people are not the only individuals who can benefit from occupational therapy. Adults and elderly folks can also benefit from OT.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Before we discuss when one might need occupational therapy and who can benefit from OT services, let us first define “occupational therapy.”
Occupational therapy (OT) is a discipline that focuses on helping the individual gain or regain the ability to perform everyday functions or “occupations.” This may include improving children’s ability to participate in play or school activities. For adults, OT may help an individual return to work or take care of everyday tasks.
The occupational therapist will assess what is important to a patient and help them recover their ability to perform those tasks. This may include regaining fine motor control after surgery or improving hand-eye coordination after a traumatic brain injury. Regaining these skills can help patients participate in daily life, from brushing one’s teeth to playing with one’s children to typing on the computer.
When Might Occupational Therapy be Recommended?
Occupational therapy is recommended in a variety of rehabilitation settings. Here are a few disabilities, injuries, and conditions that may require rehab with occupational therapy:
- Amputation
- Arthritis
- Autism
- Burns
- Cancer
- Cerebral palsy
- COPD
- Dementia
- Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
- Hand injury
- Multiple sclerosis
- Orthopedic injury/Recovery from a fall
- Sensory processing disorder
- Spinal cord injury
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
As you can see, Occupational Therapy can be used for people experiencing all sorts of difficulties. OTs work with anyone from military veterans to children to elderly adults to those with chronic illnesses. This form of rehab can help a patient participate in everyday activities with more confidence and comfort.
How Can Occupational Therapy Help?
Occupational therapy takes a holistic approach to a patient’s disability, injury, or illness. So, while a surgeon may only address an injury through their skillset or an oncologist may specifically target cancer treatment, an OT will look at the patient’s goals and abilities and work with them to reach those goals.
For example, someone recovering from a stroke may be unable to use fine motor skills. For this example, let’s say they used to enjoy knitting, and now they can’t do it anymore.
An occupational therapist would perform an evaluation to assess the patient’s goals, history, and current capabilities. This will let them know what areas to focus on during rehabilitation. From that information, they can build a tailored intervention plan.
In the knitting example, the OT may determine that it is not just fine motor skills for grasping the knitting needles but also the hand-eye coordination necessary to perform a series of stitches.
There also may be more pressing concerns for this patient, like a need to regain the ability to perform basic life skills. But suppose the motivation is to return to knitting as an enjoyable occupation. In that case, the OT may be able to customize a plan that helps the patient both return to their hobby and regain the ability to perform basic activities like brushing their teeth.
This is what is meant by a holistic approach. By performing therapeutic actions that improve a few skills, the patient can use those rehabilitated skills to enjoy many occupations – perhaps regaining the ability to knit and brush their teeth.
OT provides tools to patients who are experiencing a variety of injuries, illnesses, or disabilities. The goal is to help those patients live happier lives while retaining their autonomy for as long as possible.
If you are an occupational therapist interested in working with home health patients, be sure to contact FeldCare Connects. Our network connects independent OTs with home health agencies, providing opportunities for freelance work. Get in touch today.
If you are a home health agency looking for a qualified occupational therapist in your area, contact FeldCare Connects. We have built a network where OTs and home health agencies can connect.
