Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that helps people develop, recover, or maintain the skills they need for daily life and work:
Goal: Help people live more independently
Services: Assessment, intervention, consultation, and coaching
Activities: Exercises, advice, and suggestions to help people change their daily lives
Benefits: Can help people with physical or mental health issues, injuries, illnesses, or disabilities
Occupational therapists work with clients to:
- Identify strengths and difficulties
- Find practical solutions
- Relearn daily living tasks
- Demonstrate exercises to relieve pain
- Evaluate a client’s home, school, or workplace for accessibility improvements
- Educate a client’s family on how to care for them
- Recommend special equipment, such as mobility aids and eating aids
Occupational therapists work in many settings, including:
- School systems
- Rehabilitation centers
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
- Mental health centers
- Home health agencies
- Hand clinics