Occupational therapy (OT) is an allied health profession that involves the therapeutic use of everyday activities or occupations, to treat the physical, mental, developmental, and emotional ailments that impact a patient’s ability to perform day-to-day tasks. As such, an occupational therapist is a practitioner who uses therapeutic techniques to improve, rehabilitate, or maintain a patient’s ability to perform everyday activities.
Occupational therapy differs from other healthcare professions like physical therapy or nursing in its focus on treating the whole patient, rather than treating a particular injury, ailment, or disability. For example, after surgery, a nurse might assist a patient with pain management, dressing changes, and care during recovery. An occupational therapist, on the other hand, will assess the activities that are important to the patient and teach them how to become independent again following the surgery, so that they can resume the roles that define who they are.
Occupational therapists work with their patients by taking a therapeutic approach to everyday activities. Broadly, this means that occupational therapists are responsible for helping patients develop, recover, and improve regarding a condition or injury, as well as maintaining the skills needed to execute daily activities. But, what does this entail?
In general, OTs are responsible for a wide range of duties and tasks related to patient care. Depending on the setting in which they work, the roles of an OT often include:
● Evaluating a patient’s condition and needs
● Developing treatment plans to address a patient’s needs and help them meet specific goals
● Assessing a patient’s home and/or work environment and recommending adaptations to fit the patient’s needs and improve independence
● Training patients and their caregivers to use special equipment
● Assess and document progress for evaluation, billing, and reporting purposes
Occupational therapy aims to help individuals of all ages who have pain, a disability, an injury, or an illness that is interfering with their normal daily activities. An occupational therapist can show a patient how to live as
comfortably and independently as possible.
This type of therapist can help you learn (or re-learn) how to accomplish tasks that are associated with work, school, personal care, or household chores. Let’s take a look at what an occupational therapist does and how
this healthcare professional may be just the person to help you or your loved one get back to living a normal life again.