Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is a health profession that promotes health and well-being across the lifespan to enable clients to maximize their participation in meaningful activities (occupations).
How Occupational Therapy Can Help
Occupational therapists uses work, self care, and play activities to increase independent function, enhance development, and prevent disability. The OT may include the adaptation of tasks or environments to achieve maximum independence and enhance the person’s quality of life.
Occupational therapists work to restore the client’s ability to carry out activities of daily living like eating, bathing, dressing, returning to work and driving, as well as independent living skills, such as homemaking and money management.
To begin, an occupational therapist will try to find out why you cannot do what you would like or need to do…
Depending on your situation, an occupational therapists may check:
What you can and cannot do physically (this includes your strength, coordination, balance, or other physical abilities)
What you can and cannot do mentally (your memory, organization skills, coping strategies, or other mental abilities)
What materials you use to participate in the occupation (for example, work tools, furniture, cooking utensils, clothes, or other materials)
The social and emotional support available to you in your home, school, work and community
the physical setup of your house, school, classroom, work place, community, or other environment.
Many occupational therapists use the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure(COPM) which measures change in your ability to perform occupations over a period time. It measures how important the activity is to you and how satisfied you are with your performance in it.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is a health profession that promotes health and well-being across the lifespan to enable clients to maximize their participation in meaningful activities (occupations).
How Occupational Therapy Can Help
Occupational therapists uses work, self care, and play activities to increase independent function, enhance development, and prevent disability. The OT may include the adaptation of tasks or environments to achieve maximum independence and enhance the person’s quality of life.
Occupational therapists work to restore the client’s ability to carry out activities of daily living like eating, bathing, dressing, returning to work and driving, as well as independent living skills, such as homemaking and money management.
To begin, an occupational therapist will try to find out why you cannot do what you would like or need to do…
Depending on your situation, an occupational therapists may check:
What you can and cannot do physically (this includes your strength, coordination, balance, or other physical abilities)
What you can and cannot do mentally (your memory, organization skills, coping strategies, or other mental abilities)
What materials you use to participate in the occupation (for example, work tools, furniture, cooking utensils, clothes, or other materials)
The social and emotional support available to you in your home, school, work and community
the physical setup of your house, school, classroom, work place, community, or other environment.
Many occupational therapists use the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure(COPM) which measures change in your ability to perform occupations over a period time. It measures how important the activity is to you and how satisfied you are with your performance in it.
DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST CAN HELP YOU TO SOLVE IT
Helping You Overcome Your Dissabilty
Depending on what the problem is, the occupational therapist can help you solve it by educating or instructing you on how to do things with the abilities you have. Some examples are:
Heart and lung disease
Arthritis and osteoporosis
Stroke, brain injury, spinal cord and nerve injury
Amputations
Diabetes
Cancer
Pre and post surgical needs
Incontinence
Adapting The Tools You Use
The occupational therapist may adapt the materials you use in the occupations you want to do by making or recommending changes in the things you use around the house. Some examples are:
Large push buttons on your telephone
Can opener that can be used with only one hand
Special key holder to make turning keys easier
Changes in the things you use in sports leisure, or recreation. Some examples are:
A playing cards holder
A grasping cuff to help you hold a pool cue or a racquet
A knitting needle holder
Wrist stabilizer
Changes in the things you use at work or school. Some examples are:
A special chair to help you sit up straight
Self-opening scissors
Special hammers and other tools that are easier to use and prevent injury to hands and back
Writing boards to help keep paper still
Changes in the things you use to take care of yourself. Some examples are:
Clothes with velcro ties
Equipment that helps you put on your socks or stockings
Built up handles on toothbrushes, forks, spoons, or knives to help you hold them
Special bath or toilet seats
Long handled and curved brushes for hair and bath
Changes in the things you use to get from place to place. Some examples are:
Recommend wheelchairs
Special seating and positioning for chairs to help sit right
Car modifications such as one-handed steering wheels or hand operated accelerators/brakes
Bicycles/tricycles modifications such as foot straps for pedals or seat support
Recommending Changes To The environment Where You Work
Recommending changes to the physical layout of your work place, home, or school. Some examples are:
Wheelchair ramps
Widening doorways
Lowering/raising desk tops, counter tops, or cupboards
Reorganization of living space
Recommending and finding out about the support in your community. Some examples are:
Self-help groups
Community recreational programs
Specialized public transportation
Funding agencies for transportation needs, special equipment such as wheelchairs, bath seats, or specialized computer equipment
Working with the people in your community by providing education about a disability to the family, teachers, parish members, employers, or employees, as well as working with the government to encourage people to stay healthy. Some examples are:
Request funding for special equipment
Request funding for programs such as exercise programs for Seniors, or a work training program for People with physical or mental disabilities
Respond to legislation that may affect your health care
Helping You Overcome Your Dissabilty
Depending on what the problem is, the occupational therapist can help you solve it by educating or instructing you on how to do things with the abilities you have. Some examples are:
Heart and lung disease
Arthritis and osteoporosis
Stroke, brain injury, spinal cord and nerve injury
Amputations
Diabetes
Cancer
Pre and post surgical needs
Incontinence
Adapting The Tools You Use
The occupational therapist may adapt the materials you use in the occupations you want to do by making or recommending changes in the things you use around the house. Some examples are:
Large push buttons on your telephone
Can opener that can be used with only one hand
Special key holder to make turning keys easier
Changes in the things you use in sports leisure, or recreation. Some examples are:
A playing cards holder
A grasping cuff to help you hold a pool cue or a racquet
A knitting needle holder
Wrist stabilizer
Changes in the things you use at work or school. Some examples are:
A special chair to help you sit up straight
Self-opening scissors
Special hammers and other tools that are easier to use and prevent injury to hands and back
Writing boards to help keep paper still
Changes in the things you use to take care of yourself. Some examples are:
Clothes with velcro ties
Equipment that helps you put on your socks or stockings
Built up handles on toothbrushes, forks, spoons, or knives to help you hold them
Special bath or toilet seats
Long handled and curved brushes for hair and bath
Changes in the things you use to get from place to place. Some examples are:
Recommend wheelchairs
Special seating and positioning for chairs to help sit right
Car modifications such as one-handed steering wheels or hand operated accelerators/brakes
Bicycles/tricycles modifications such as foot straps for pedals or seat support
Recommending Changes To The environment Where You Work
Recommending changes to the physical layout of your work place, home, or school. Some examples are:
Wheelchair ramps
Widening doorways
Lowering/raising desk tops, counter tops, or cupboards
Reorganization of living space
Recommending and finding out about the support in your community. Some examples are:
Self-help groups
Community recreational programs
Specialized public transportation
Funding agencies for transportation needs, special equipment such as wheelchairs, bath seats, or specialized computer equipment
Working with the people in your community by providing education about a disability to the family, teachers, parish members, employers, or employees, as well as working with the government to encourage people to stay healthy. Some examples are:
Request funding for special equipment
Request funding for programs such as exercise programs for Seniors, or a work training program for People with physical or mental disabilities
Respond to legislation that may affect your health care