What Can an Occupational Therapist Do for You?
Family Care articles are not a substitute for medical or legal advice from a licensed professional.
For some home health services, like physical therapy or in-home nursing, what they do may seem like a simple question. But if you’ve never had occupational therapy before, you might not know what to expect. In this article, we outline the basics of occupational therapy, how you might qualify, and what an OT visit might look like.
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is treatment designed to help patients improve their motor skills, including balance and coordination. It is designed to help patients do what they want and need to do, and can be useful at many different parts of their lives. Occupational therapy is often used to prevent, or to improve health after, a serious illness or injury. For this article, we will focus on the ways occupational therapy can help our senior home care patients.
Who Qualifies for Occupational Therapy?
Many people qualify for occupational therapy services, whether through their Medicare coverage or through a private insurer. You or a loved one may qualify if you’ve had:
· Recent surgery,
· Recent diagnosis of dementia,
· New or worsening multiple sclerosis symptoms,
· Recent cancer diagnosis, or
· Limitations related to aging.
If one of those categories applies to you, you can discuss occupational therapy with your doctor, or reach out to a home health agency to learn about their requirements for new patients. And if none of those categories apply to you, start the conversation anyway—there are many ways to qualify for insurance coverage of occupational therapy.
What Can an Occupational Therapist Do for You?
Discuss your goals
An occupational therapist may ask, “what matters most to you?” Often, doctors and nurses have an idea of what a patient should get out of their care. But if a patient doesn’t think those things are a priority, it can lead to them being dissatisfied or frustrated. Input from a patient about their goals is an important tool to help focus their care. So if you aren’t hoping to run a marathon after a knee surgery, but you would like to be able to play with your grandchildren or take walks with your family, an occupational therapist can help make sure your thoughts are heard.
They can also help you determine whether more or different intervention is necessary based on your goals. If they think you could benefit from seeing a medical social worker or a different type of therapist, they can make that recommendation for you.
Make daily tasks easier
Usually, the services you receive from an OT can be broken into two categories: activities to help you get better at certain activities, or modifications to the environment to make those activities safer. Whether you’d benefit from exercises to improve fine motor skills, or a ramp for entering and exiting your home, an occupational therapist can make recommendations to make things easier.
Make your home safer
This can include identifying hazards in the home, like loose rugs or steep stairs. An occupational therapist could make recommendations, like installing a handrail or creating clear pathways throughout the home.
They might also teach you best practices, like how to safely get in and out of bed or the shower. They may give safety tips for kitchen use or yardwork. Reducing the risk of falls or other injuries is an important way to keep you healthy and keep OT patients out of the hospital.
Assist following a dementia diagnosis
Occupational therapists can help determine whether or not a person is able to function independently after a diagnosis of dementia. An OT can provide recommendations about the patient’s ability to drive, work, cook, or accomplish other day-to-day tasks. They can also modify the patient’s environment to increase safety or decrease agitation. This includes simple things like removing objects that agitate a patient, rearranging their closet, or labeling items in the home.
Many OTs try to incorporate mentally stimulating activities in a patient’s routine. This can include puzzles or games to help keep the brain active.
These are only some of the functions a great OT can provide! Occupational therapy is a great opportunity for home health patients to get customized, personal care that benefits them. To learn more about occupational therapy, you can always speak to your doctor, or call one of Family Care’s offices to see if it may be the right choice for you.
