Occupational therapy (OT) is function-orientated therapy. Several types of people can benefit from occupational therapy, from children with mental and/or physical disabilities to elderly people whose physical abilities have deteriorated over time. OT treatment plans map out a patient's route to improvement. The ultimate goal of occupational therapy is to improve quality of life for patients.
Occupational therapy can help people with disabilities live more fulfilling lives.
Candidates for OT
OT is commonly prescribed for people who were seriously hurt in automobile accidents, people who suffer a severe head injury, cancer patients, and adults with brain and/or spinal injury. However, children can benefit from OT, too. Children with physical and/or mental disabilities, like autism and cerebral palsy, and children with behavioral problems can benefit socially and academically from OT.
Significance
Occupational therapy treatment plans are designed to improve a patient's quality of life by giving the patient more independence. Therapists do this by teaching patients to make necessary compensations. For example, if a right-handed person lost his right hand, a therapist would teach the person to use his left hand for writing and performing other duties. Depending on the case, treatment plans may include teaching a patient to use equipment aids for tasks such as eating and getting dressed. Equipment aids can help a person do a task he otherwise wouldn't be able to do by himself.
Types
Occupational therapy treatment plans focus on improving all aspects of life. Some OT focuses on being able to function in the workplace. Other treatment plans might focus on personal care, like being able to dress and cook for yourself, or recreational activities, like being able to use a computer. Different OT tools are used to achieve the goals of a given treatment plan. For example, specially designed keyboards are used to improve a patient's ability to type on a computer.
Benefits
Patients benefit from occupational therapy by learning sets of skills designed to increase independence. Being independent increases self-esteem and leads to a more fulfilling life. High self-esteem is important to health. Low self-esteem may lead to disorders like depression and drug addiction. For children, OT is especially beneficial. Using skills learned in occupational therapy, children can make friends easier and maximize academic potential.
Considerations
In some ways, occupational therapy is similar to physical therapy (PT). OT treatment plans may include doing exercises to strengthen muscles, just like physical therapy. The difference between the two is the exercises done as a part of occupational therapy are task-orientated; in physical therapy, exercises are done for the sake of strengthening muscles. Take a golfer who is recovering from temporary paralysis in his lower body, for example. In PT a therapist might have the golfer walk on a treadmill to strengthen his legs; the occupational therapist will take the golfer to a golf course to walk and strengthen his legs. Occupational therapy is offered in a variety of places including schools, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and hospitals.
Tags: treatment plans, being able, benefit from, , Occupational therapy, physical therapy, therapy treatment