Celebrating Interprofessional Care: October is Occupational Therapy Month

When everyday activities are interrupted by illness, injury, developmental challenges, the aging process, mental or emotional illness, a member of the occupational therapy treatment team can provide strategies to help a person work toward a more independent and productive lifestyle.

Occupational Therapists work with individuals of all ages, in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, schools, treatment centres, clinics, industrial settings and in private practice, to name a few.

At Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA), an Occupational Therapist (OT) or Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) helps individuals deal with challenges in self-care, cognition, visual-perception, positioning, wheelchair seating, transfers, meal planning and preparation, driving, social skills, anxiety and stress management, and many other issues one might face at home, at school, at work or in the community.

One of the assessment and treatment tools the OT team may use to help prepare a person for adjustment to the home and/or community is the Activities of Daily Living apartment, located on the inpatient rehab unit. This apartment, which includes a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, is a setting where occupational therapy patients from both the physical health and mental health areas of the hospital can have a chance to practice their daily skills, such as a tub transfer or meal preparation. Under the guidance of an OT or OTA, patients can try adaptive equipment, and explore new ways to make the tasks easier. An assessment is often used to ensure that someone will be safe in their own environment, before they leave the hospital.

In a society where aging, chronic diseases and traumatic injuries can impact severely on a person’s lifestyle, a chance to re-establish the most basic skills become important to a person’s sense of mastery of their environment and safe re-integration into their community. Working with an Occupational Therapist or OT assistant can provide that opportunity to strive for independence in life’s daily routine.

Happy Occupational Therapy Month!