Occupational therapy or OT plays an important part in a patient’s recovery when they receive home health services. At Butte Home Health, we know the value of OT and the importance of to role it plays in supporting the independence of seniors in their homes. For the public, the purpose of occupational therapy can be a bit of a mystery when compared to other members of the home health team (like nursing and physical therapy). This post aims to unravel that mystery by decoding the role OT has in home health, what occupational therapists do, and what they cannot do.
The Function of Home Health Services
When patients are in a hospital or a rehab facility, they are outside their normal environment. As a result, it can be difficult to adjust your recovery once you are at home. Home health services like OT, skilled nursing, and physical therapy exist to help patients improve and recover in their homes. Home health also provides support and education that is intended to help patients function independently after home health services are no longer needed.
What is the Purpose of Occupational Therapy?
Just as physical therapy is designed to help patients recover physical function, occupational therapy is intended to help a patient restore their productivity. This includes being able to return to a chosen occupation if they are still in the workforce. OT also helps support a patient’s ability to live safely in their home environment. Occupational therapists help with things like:
- Improving hand-eye coordination to help patients handle and manipulate a utensil, tool, etc…
- Learning or releasing basic tasks like eating, bathing, dressing
- Using adaptive equipment
- Family and caregiver training
- Chronic disease management
- Seating and positioning
- Dementia
- Medication management
opening bottles, turning handles, lifting and carrying objects, or grasping an assistive device.
What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?
During an OT session, the therapist will do exercises and activities with the patient based on the reason why they require OT. They will ask patients about and look at different areas of daily living, such as:
Sleeping: Are there any causes of sleep disturbance, such as pain?
Meal prep and planning: How does the patient get their meals? Do they need help with meal planning or need a referral to meals on wheels?
Mobility: Does the patient have any mobility issues that require adaptive equipment? Are there any safety concerns or risks at home?
Vision: Does the patient have problems with their vision? Can they clearly read labels and instructions?
The goal of an occupational therapist is to help patients resume the activities that are important to their daily life, also known as their activities of daily living.
What An Occupational Therapist Does Not Do?
Occupational therapists often get confused with other types of medical professionals like physical therapists. Physical therapists help home health patients improve their physical movements such as walking, bending, and putting weight on their extremities. Some duties of PT and OT overlap, but they are distinct and separate disciplines.
Because occupational therapists have occupation in their title, they are sometimes mistaken for helping people get jobs or something else related to work. While an OT may help a patient work on activities they might need to do for work, it is not their primary focus.
Home Health services including occupational therapy offer numerous benefits to patients. To learn more about how occupational therapy at home can help you or your loved one in the Chico, CA, area, reach out to Butte Home Health today!
