Health

How Occupational Therapy Can Help You

Occupational therapy is a treatment that helps older adults – and people of any age – live as independently and productively as possible. In most cases, occupational therapists work with people in regaining important skills after an illness, injury, or because of physical and psychological changes related to the aging process. “Occupational therapists are available throughout the continuum of care in various settings including hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and in-home care,” explains UAB Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Kathleen Foley, Ph.D., OTR/L. “Therapy is highly individualized and focused on helping clients regain the physical and cognitive skills needed to perform the roles that are most important in their daily lives.”

Common Types of Therapy

Dr. Foley says that traditional occupational therapies focus on helping clients with activities they will need to perform after returning home from a long hospitalization or stay in a rehabilitation facility. “We work on a range of activities that may be important to the client – such as work, cooking, and even leisure activities,” she adds. Occupational therapists use several methods to help people increase their ability to function independently. In general, occupational therapy could include the following:

• Retraining in personal care activities, such as dressing, eating, bathing, and toileting
• Education in work simplification and energy conservation techniques to complete home skills, including housekeeping, shopping, and cooking
• Personal management skills, such as scheduling appointments and balancing a checkbook
• Strategies to assist with memory and personal organization
• Skills for using public transportation
• Physical exercises to improve posture and increase strength and flexibility needed for performing daily activities
• Assessment of daily living needs as well as home and work environments with recommendations for changes and improvements that will help you continue your activities
• Assistance in suggesting new or alternative social, work, and leisure activities to replace those you can no longer perform due to illness, injury, or aging
• Assistance with the thinking and judgment skills needed for driving as well as determining whether special adaptive devices are needed to help you continue driving (for more detailed information on how occupational therapists can assist with driving, please visit car-fit.org and AOTA.org).
• Assessment and training in the use of assistive devices that can help you perform daily activities more easily
• Advice and guidance for families and caregivers

Dr. Foley emphasizes that occupational therapy can also help older adults prevent becoming physically debilitated due to aging. “Occupational therapists focus on health promotion for older adults who don’t have a specific illness or problem,” she explains. “For example, we routinely work with caregivers and family members in developing a proactive plan to prevent falls and injuries by modifying the home environment. Also, we can suggest exercises and other activities to help older adults remain flexible and strong.”

Conditions Helped by Therapy

Occupational therapy can help people with many different conditions affecting both physical and mental performance, including:

• Recovery and return to work after an injury or illness
• Sudden serious health conditions such as stroke, heart attack, or amputation
• Chronic conditions such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Learning and/or developmental disabilities
• Mental health or behavioral issues such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, or substance abuse

“It’s important to know that if you’ve experienced a disruption in your life – due to illness, injury, or some other event – occupational therapy can help you regain the skills you need to live the most productive, full, and independent life possible,” adds Dr. Foley.