Sometimes things can hard to do as a result of injury or other activities. The primary goal of an occupational therapist is to enable people to get on with everyday activities to lead a normal and productive life of the individuals choice. Simple self care activities such as showering, dressing, cooking a meal or ; productive activities such as education, work, caring for others; and leisure/social activities, being able to fully participate in a hobby of choice or go out socially. Sometimes this calls for modification of certain activities or even the environment to enable the person to participate in the chosen occupations.
The therapist can help with physical or mental disabilities and often may be part of a team of people who work with the individual getting them back to being healthy and happy. They identify and implement strategies to get you back as quickly as possible
Information from Allied Health Professions Australia, has summarised a list of activities that occupational therapists can assist with and they include
- Therapeutic use of occupations, and activities, including therapeutic use of self (including one’s personality, insights, perceptions, and judgments, as part of the therapeutic process);
- Skill development in self-care, self-management, home management, and community/work/school reintegration;
- Education and support of individuals, including family members, caregivers, and others, through collaborative and consultative partnerships and family-centred approaches;
- Care coordination, case management, transition services including discharge planning, client advocacy and onward referral to relevant services;
- Modification of environments (e.g., home, work, school, community) and adaptation of processes, including the application of ergonomic principles;
- Assessment, customisation and oversight of equipment provision including orthotic devices, and training in the use of prosthetic devices;
- Driver rehabilitation and community mobility;
- Use of natural contexts for assessment and intervention (i.e. home, school classrooms, work settings, community); and
- Use of a range of specific therapeutic procedures to enhance performance such as wound care management, techniques to enhance sensory, perceptual, and cognitive processing, and manual therapy technique skills.
