Occupational Therapy
Education
Graduate of an occupational therapy curriculum accredited jointly by the council on medical education of the AMA and the American Occupational Therapy Association. Registered by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Licensed by the state.
Duties and Responsibilities
A Occupational Therapist assists the patient's physician in evaluating the patient's functional, motor, perceptual-motor, and sensory-integrative ability by administering diagnostic and prognostic tests. The Occupational Therapist develops a plan of treatment through recognition of the patient's needs and goals, conditions and environment, and consultation with other health team members. The Occupational Therapist then administers treatment procedures and rehabilitative activities as prescribed by the physician. The Occupational Therapist accomplishes the patient’s goals by:
- Therapeutic use of functional or restorative activities of daily living: homemaking, splinting, and upper extremity, orthotic/prosthetic training, and perceptual-motor training.
- Selects and teaches task-oriented therapeutic activities designed to restore functional ability.
- Devises and implements therapeutic tasks and activities to restore sensory-integrative function.
- Teaches compensatory techniques designed to improve the level of independence in activities of daily living.
- Devises, constructs and fits orthotic, prosthetic, and self-help devices and instructs and supervises patient and family in their use.
- Teaches prevocational, vocational, and avocational activities.
The Occupational Therapist periodically re-evaluates the status of the patient's functional ability and the effectiveness of the occupational therapy plan of treatment. When needed the plan of treatment and goals are adjusted with the physician's approval. During treatment the Occupational Therapist will instruct the patient and family in home programs to continue in the therapist's absence. The Occupational Therapist records and reports to the physician any changes in the patient's condition, suggested changes in patient's orders, and implementation of discharge planning.
Primary Treatments
- Lymphedema treatment
- Appliance sizing and use
- Improvement in Activities of Daily Living
