What Is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy is quite different from other healthcare professions, such as physical therapy and nursing. It’s a medical branch that takes care of people with physical, sensory, and cognitive problems. An occupational therapist (OT) can help you regain independence in every aspect of your life. They use everyday activities, including exercise and other therapies, to help you overcome barriers that challenge your emotional, social, and physical well-being. OTs can play a key role in helping kids learn, play, and improve their self-esteem. Are you looking to make a positive impact on your quality of life and gain independence in important ways? My Therapy Crew is committed to supporting you to thrive with assisted technology to develop your skills in self-care, emotional regulation, cognition, and general tasks.

What occupational therapists do

OTs work with patients to improve their wellness by adopting a therapeutic approach to their daily activities. In a broad context, this means occupational therapists are responsible for helping patients recover and develop skills required for carrying out their everyday tasks. They are largely responsible for a wide variety of duties relating to patient care. Based on the setting they work in, the roles of an OT often include the following responsibilities:

• Patient condition evaluation.
• Treatment plan development for addressing specific patient needs and goals.
• Teaching patients and caregivers how to use special equipment.
• Monitoring and documenting progress for evaluation and reporting purposes. 

Most occupational therapists work in healthcare facilities like rehabilitation centres, children’s clinics, hospitals, and private practice settings. They also have opportunities to operate in other organisations. For instance, some OTs work in educational settings to provide child development assistance and adults with coping strategies to reduce problems that come with ageing.

Benefits of occupational therapy for adults

An occupational therapist’s goal is to restore a patient’s ability to perform their daily chores as independently as possible. People normally want to be able to care for themselves and perform personal tasks like dressing and visiting the bathroom. Occupational therapy is the only therapy that focuses on improving specific self-care skills. Our OTs can support adults to return to independent function with these benefits:

• Enhancing range of motion and strength

Medical conditions like stroke and arthritis can decrease the movement ability of joints like the shoulder. Working with My Therapy Crew can help improve your range of motion passively and actively. Our OTs can stimulate the performance of motion and assist patients in making joint-related movements that will benefit their recovery. While regular exercise and endurance are everyday routines in therapy, what truly distinguishes our OTs from other rehab facilities is our ability to analyse movements and cognitive requirements for daily activities. Our creativity in treatment improves therapy effectiveness by providing consistent activities to boost the physical and cognitive health of clients. More importantly, we keep patients excited and challenged.

• Functional cognition

Occupational therapy addresses cognition regarding functional necessity. Organising your daily calendar, ordering items online, and paying bills all involve cognitive skills. Our OTs focus on activities that promote problem-solving, reasoning, and organisation to improve a patient’s ability to complete crucial functional tasks. Do you want to restore your ability to drive safely after injury or illness? Trust our team to put you back behind the wheel through assessments on deficits that could impact your driving.

• Adaptive equipment

Occupational therapists also recommend adaptive equipment for clients. Whether you are learning how to dress safely after hip replacement surgery or want to stay safe in the bathroom, we are your go-to therapists to address such problems. Adaptive products keep gaining popularity each year. However, determining what equipment is a good choice can be challenging. My Therapy Crew can help you select the most effective and appropriate equipment for your unique situation. Our occupational therapists also provide home evaluations through health therapy and inpatient rehabilitation, uncovering potential safety hazards in and around your home. Home modifications are sometimes essential for improving the safety of clients.

• Family support

It doesn’t matter what age or population an OT works with. Almost all occupational therapists spend their time consoling patients and supporting their families under different circumstances. We prioritise your health with our holistic mindset and approach to functional well-being. If you want to feel cared for and easily adapt to any condition, visiting My Therapy Crew will put you on the path to achieving your personal goals. 

• Improve visual skills

We can address visual defects by providing insights into elusive challenges following neurological diagnosis. Changes in vision may happen following brain surgery, stroke, or eye disease. These conditions may create blind spots in your field of vision, affecting your ability to read and travel confidently. Occupational therapists can teach patients visual adaptive strategies such as scanning pre-reading techniques to enhance their overall visual skills.

• Caregiver training

Watching a loved one experience pain can be hard to process. Caregivers may feel guilty or frustrated with a family member struggling to live independently. Part of an OT’s role is to train caregivers and help them comprehend the visible and invisible effects of a medical condition, including limitations and disabilities. For example, they can explain cognitive developments that can arise in a patient with Parkinson’s Disease, like hallucinations and decreased memory. While several events may cause challenges and limitations, caregiver support is a vital benefit of occupational therapy. It’s a major component of a successful return to independent function.

Why contact My Therapy Crew for occupational therapy

Providing support with smiles is our priority. Our occupational therapists can work with you to regain your independent life. Get tailored sensory assessments to see if sensory processing issues are contributing to challenges in your daily life. We can also liaise with you to create a safer home. The senior OTs at My Therapy boast almost 20 years of experience in the profession, so you can trust these well-trained professionals to increase your quality of life at every step with the right technology. A supportive and attentive occupation therapy team who understands your challenges and preferred activities is worth consulting. Our ultimate goal is to see you and your family flourish independently, so connect with My Crew Therapy now to find the support you deserve.