Occupational Therapy (OT)

In any medical injury or illness, the effects generated by the condition consist more than adverse side effects that come about. Mental issues may arise due to the lack of awareness presented to patients feelings toward their conditions. When asked about the role of an occupational therapist (OT) in a patient’s wellbeing, Sherry Judd, an OT at the rehabilitation center in the St. Michael Medical Center in Arkansas, says that it “offers a more varied approach to trying to help a person get back to independence. (Treadway). Occupational therapy can be defined as the aid of the restoration and development of cognitive and motor skills for the mentally and physically ill. (“Occupational”). With the use of technological and therapeutic techniques,

Therapists also directly work with the family and caretakers of the patient for living accommodations and needs (Bennett). The evaluation of medical history and predicting future development are key focus points in creating a plan unique to the patient and his or her family (Bennett). Plans may include the setting of realistic goals, short and long-term, the patient can attain in the foreseeable future, such as an individual dressing in the morning with no aid for a set amount of time (Hirsch). Specifically, in the home environment, the living space may be analyzed for patient accommodation, such as labeling cabinets and closets for patients with memory loss (“Occupational”). With these actions combined, the work on an OT serves to create a personal experience with each patient, individualizing a plan that gives a sense of freedom every

The ten percent of OTs in this area work with disabled children with participating in school activities, aid in the modification of equipment and materials. The remaining OTs home health care services and nursing home facilities (“Occupational”). These OTs primarily specialize in the rehabilitation of the elderly, where skills such as toileting and bathing need to be retaught. In addition to these settings, Dr. Lina Shalik, the chairwoman of the OT department at the University of Central Arkansas, says there has been an exponential growth of OT’s in industrial settings "to assist in the accommodation of disabled workers in the work setting as required by the Americans With Disabilities Act. (Treadway). Because their work involves a broad spectrum of lifespans, the environments of OTs involves a myriad of options to work with many in the