OCCUPATIONAL
THERAPY
Adult Occupational Therapy at TPI
Adult Occupational Therapy (OT) is an evidence-based health care profession that provides rehabilitation to clients who have difficulty completing everyday tasks, also known as Activities of Daily Living (ADL). ADLs are comprised of tasks that the client normally completes in the home, on the job, or in the community. It’s quite common that after many surgical procedures such as spinal fusion, hip replacement, or rotator cuff surgery, ADL retraining is recommended by the surgeon. Just a few examples of ADLs include meal preparation, dressing, bathing, or even moving about the home with a walker, crutches, or wheelchair. In the workplace, OTs are experts at helping clients return to their previous job tasks and recommending modifications as needed.
Our occupational therapists help their clients to live life to the fullest by promoting wellness and reducing the effects of injury, illness, or disability. In addition, OTs establish preventive care plans to reduce the chances of re-injury and to preserve independence and safety at the highest level. The ultimate goal is to enable clients to function to their greatest potential in an optimum environment that makes life easier. All OTs at TPI are dedicated to providing the highest quality rehabilitation services.
Our Occupational Therapist can help with the following:
- Shoulder Rehabilitation
- Soft Tissue Mobilizations
- Activities of Daily Living (such as meal preparation, bathing)
- Neuro Rehabilitation
- Active Range of Motion Exercises
- Upper Extremity Strength Training
- Fine Motor Coordination
- Cognitive Retraining / Compensatory Strategies
- Return to Work
- Proprioceptive Training and Balance Skills
- Gross Motor Coordination
- Pain Management
- Sensory stimulation/retraining
- Joint Protection Techniques
- Core Strengthening
- Neuromuscular Re-education
- Handwriting/Computer Skills
- Energy Conservation Technique
- Post-Surgical Precautions
- Safety Training
- Hand Rehabilitation
- Scar Massage
- Visual-Perceptual Skills
- Endurance Training
- Functional Communication
- Low-Vision Training
- Patient Education and Preventative Care
- Fall Prevention
How Can I benefit From Occupational Therapy?
At TPI, your occupational therapy program will begin with a thorough evaluation of you, the client. This initial evaluation consists of a discussion about your goals for the therapy program. We want to know first-hand about what is important to you and any concerns regarding taking care of yourself and completing your daily tasks. Occupational therapy is client centered, always placing the goals of the client first. Your occupational therapist will then design a plan to help manage your daily activities in an effective way so that you meet those goals. At TPI, all therapists embrace an interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, evaluation includes collaboration and consultation with everyone on your health care team, including other therapists, physicians and surgeons.
During therapy, you will learn new ways of doing basic tasks, and ways to adjust your current routines to help make life easier. For example, if you are normally responsible for preparing meals, we help you learn how to complete those tasks in a safe manner that doesn’t compromise recovery from your illness or injury. We know full well that, in addition to taking care of yourself, you might also be responsible for taking care of a spouse or parent. Such challenges are quite common, and at TPI, we are committed to assisting with these concerns. To make sure that your occupational therapy plan is as effective as possible, your therapist may accompany you to your usual daily environment. This allows us to recommend special adaptive equipment that is the most appropriate for your home or workplace. These visits are a great way to ensure that new routines move into place easily. If new adaptive equipment is recommended, your OT will work with you as you learn to use the equipment safely and effectively. Our occupational therapists will collaborate with you so that you can learn new ways of completing your ADLs and can remain as independent and high-functioning as possible
How Do I Know if I Need Occupational Therapy?
OT is very regularly prescribed by physicians after several types of surgical procedures. Just a few of these include: total hip or knee replacement, rotator cuff repair, spinal fusion.
This specialized type of therapy is also extremely valuable after a stroke, also called cerebral-vascular accident (CVA). This is because OT’s are not only experts at helping people with physical dysfunction, but cognitive, neurological and perceptual dysfunction as well. For those who have survived a stroke, it’s absolutely critical that therapy services comprehensively address all aspects of the diagnosis.
Essentially, if you or a loved one is having challenges with performing the daily tasks needed to get through the day, then occupational therapy rehabilitation services can be very beneficial to returning to the prior level of independence and an excellent quality of life.