HOLISTIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED CANCER
Amanda Natasha Rosso
What is Occupational Therapy?
What do Occupational Therapists even do?
How can it help me?
Occupational Therapy practitioners use everyday
life activities (occupations) with individuals or
groups for the purpose of improving how we perform in our important roles
and routines in home, school, the workplace, and the community.
Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs)use their knowledge of the
relationship among the person and his/her/they/their engagement in
meaningful tasks or “occupations” to design personalized treatment
plans that improve body structures (strength, balance, motion, pain,
sensation, etc), personal management skills and overall function.
Here are some settings in which OTPs are often found:
Pediatrics:
School OTPs work to improve skills related to school participation. School OTPs collaborate on teams of specialists to develop plans so that students function at their best. This could mean working on social skills, fine motor skills, and training in the use of technology.
Early Intervention OTPs come to the home and provide services to children from birth to three years of age. They address developmental issues and collaborate closely with caregivers to support the child and his/her caregivers. OTPs work closely with families and children at this pivotal time.
Adults:
Skilled Nursing Facility-OTPs work with individuals who have had a medical event and need rehabilitation to restore their function. OTPs can assist these individuals with improving skills related to our daily self-care routines and activities. OTPs refer and train clients with adaptive equipment and offer environmental modifications .
Hospitals:
OTPs work in Hospitals to provide clients with assessment and care following an acute medical event. OTPs are a member of a treatment team that recommend whether clients are safely able to return home or if they need further rehabilitation.
Outpatient Rehabilitation Center If you’ve ever needed therapy on your fingers, wrist, hand, or arm following an injury or issue, you probably were treated by an OTPs in an Outpatient Rehabilitation Center. Outpatient OTPs treat many conditions and orthopedic issues, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cognitive issues, lymphedema, and low vision to name a few.
OTPs also work in mental health and community settings such correctional centers, developmental centers and psychiatric facilities. In these settings OTPs generally work on community and personal management skills. This could mean helping clients to budget money and meal plan, or teaching strategies to manage stress and triggers.
Ultimately, OTPs are concerned with how clients perform in the roles and activities that are most meaningful to them. The OTP will complete an in-depth assessment by examining the concerns/issues, the client’s personal attributes and life factors and how they affect the issue. OTPs interview clients to get an understanding of the problem and background information, hen perform an assessment of skills pertaining to the issue. Depending on the concerns, the assessment type and tools can vary greatly. Then, based on the findings, OTPs collaborate with their clients to create a personalized treatment approach. OTPs strive to help you reach your best quality of life.
References:
Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain & Process 2nd Edition
The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2008, Vol. 62(6), 625–683.