What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapists (OTs) help individuals across their lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do day to day, typically called daily occupations. A common misconception is that OTs only deal with injuries regarding the upper body, more specifically the shoulder, arms, and hands. However, OTs have a wide range of services that they provide. This can include but is not limited to: bathing, dressing, eating, food preparation & cooking, home management, driving & community mobility, social participation, work, school, and sleep.

Occupational Therapy helps people recovering from injury or illness to regain skills to be able to participate in the activities they want to participate in every day. Occupational Therapists in an outpatient setting provide support to adults & the elderly who are experiencing physical and cognitive changes. These services may include evaluations of the client’s home and other environments, such as their workplace or school, and make recommendations for adaptive equipment and train in its use as well as activity modification.

Occupational Therapists also provide guidance and education for family members and caregivers to support the client outside of therapy. They have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment to fit the person, with an emphasis on the client being an integral part of the therapy team and decisions for treatment.