Occupational Therapy is used to help patients, from toddlers to the elderly, to perform daily living and working tasks so they can live independent, and rewarding lives. Often times therapy is used to assist those desiring to:
- continue to Age in Place
- maintain strength when dealing with Alzheimer’s, Arthritis or other crippling diseases
- assist themselves in Fall Prevention
- rehabilitate after Hip Replacement or other major surgery
- gain balance and strength in support of Low Vision
- gain muscle strength after a Stroke
- elevate quality of life due to mental, physical, emotional, and developmental issues
Occupational therapists often work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, small medical offices, and even clients’ homes. Records and assessments of a patient’s progress are meticulously kept, as they are crucial to providing ongoing care.
Services
A well-qualified Occupational Therapist understands the difference between managing pain and increasing the body’s muscle mass and balance. They will define an individual plan to help patients with a wide range of activities essential to daily life:
- eating
- cooking
- dressing
- exercising
- operating computers and small hand tools
Services may include comprehensive evaluations of the client’s home, including recommendations for adaptive equipment and the training of its use. Guidance and education to family members and caregivers may also be provided.
Specialization
A master’s degree from an institution accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education is the minimum level of education required in order to sit for the national certifying exam.
Preparation
- Know the limitations as defined by your doctor of your loved one.
- Understand the desired outcome such as:
- increased mobility
- strengthening of specific muscles
- better balance in specific limbs or other body parts
- Request a referral from the doctor and specifics about the type of care you are searching.
- Check to determine if insurance coverage is available.
- Understand if the coverage extends to the services of a non-network provider
- Do I have to get a letter from a licensed medical provider (Physician or Physician’s Assistant) to state this is medically necessary?
Evaluation
- Be sure to discuss the evaluations to insure they match the goals for your loved one. Know what will be done to meet and/or make changes to the plan should it be necessary.
- Define the types of customized intervention necessary to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals.
- Require client/family and occupational therapist collaboration to determine the goals.
Occupational Therapy Radio Show Segments
- Skilled Nursing
Beth Deems at Mission Health Care discusses the topic of Skilled Nursing. Once your parent has moved to skilled nursing, you may wonder what exactly that entails and why it is preferable to outpatient or in-home rehabilitation. Skilled nursing is focused on getting your loved one back to their prior living situation. By having 6 days of therapy a week (instead of 2 days, like in-home or outpatient), the patient progresses faster and returns to more independent living.
- Continuum of Care
Beth Deems at Mission Health Care discusses the continuum of senior care. Seniors want to stay in their home as long as possible, and we want to encourage that. But there comes a time when the family starts to get concerned. You always want to do right by your parents. When you are at that crossroads, here are the considerations that a family should look at.
- Fall Prevention with Beth Deems
Beth Deems at Mission Health Care discusses fall prevention, one of the best things we as caregivers can do for our senior parents. And while it may not be possible to prevent all falls, mitigating that risk is so important. One in five falls results in a serious injury, such as broken bone or head injury, according to the Center for Disease Control.
