Occupational Therapy Occupational Therapy Assisting as a career.

Occupational Therapy Definition:  The practice of occupational therapy means the therapeutic use of occupations, including everyday life activities with individuals, groups, populations, or organizations to support participation, performance, and function in roles and situations in home, school, workplace, community, and other settings. AOTA Model Practice Act (2014)

Occupational Therapy: Common Traits  Communication Skills/Writing Skills  Exceptional People Skills  Problem Solving/Creativity  Physical Strength/Endurance  Patience  Compassion/Empathy  Organization  Enjoy Helping Others

Occupational Therapy and Anatomy

Occupational Therapy: 6 Core Practice Areas  Health & Wellness  Work & Industry  Children and Youth  Rehabilitation, Participation, and Disability  Mental Health  Productive Aging

Occupational Therapy Equipment

Health & Wellness  Manage and prevent chronic diseases which reduces hospitalizations and other health care costs.  Examples would be such things as: Diabetes, obesity, sleep disorders, pain management, arthritis, sensory integration, and psychosocial issues.

Health & Wellness

Work & Industry  Working with businesses to improve ergonomics/ work place environments, and return to work after injury or illness.  Working with children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities to help prepare them for work/transition into the workforce.  Access to workplace environments through adaptation of the environment or task.

Work & Industry: Ergonomics

Children & Youth  Working with children who have Autism by using Sensory Integration for children.  Play as an occupation for children. Play is the major occupation of youth/children and helps them to develop motor and cognitive skills.  Help with acquisition of developmental milestones. Beginning with neonates, OT helps children to achieve primitive reflexes so that normal development can occur.  Mental health issues including: social skills, emotional regulation, cognitive strategies, and psychiatric illness.

Children & Youth

Rehabilitation, Participation, and Disability  This is a key practice area in the 21 st century in order to support the centennial vision of the AOTA.  Rehabilitation is at the core of Occupational Therapy and addresses the needs of those with illness, injury, or other disabilities.  Examples of rehab: acute rehab after surgery, rehabilitation from stroke or TBI, recovery from Cancer or disease, dysphagia, and hand therapy/splinting. Working predominantly in hospitals, SNF, or clinics.  Examples of participation: home or community mobility, driving in the geriatric population, home modifications, independent living, sleep, and sexuality. Working in homes, care centers, and assisted living facilities.  Working with individuals with disabilities that may cover: physical, social, intellectual, developmental, mental/emotional.

Rehabilitation, Participation, and Disability

Mental Health  Mental health is key to all Occupational Therapy interventions, and can have adverse effects on outcomes.  Examples: cognitive impairments, mental illness, posttraumatic stress disorders, depression, drug/alcohol abuse, dementia/Alzheimer’s, and oncology.  The mental state of the patient is key to the holistic approach of Occupational Therapy. Each client brings a mind and a body to therapy, and each is equally important to achieving a desired outcome.

Mental Health

Productive Aging  Baby boomers will make up a larger percentage of our population as we head to towards the middle of the 21 st century, with 1 in 5 people in the US being over the age of 65 by (2014).  This increase in population will put a strain on our healthcare and social welfare resources.  Future retirees face a multitude of problems: aging in place, driving, employment, health & wellness, energy conservation, work simplification, home safety, fall prevention, and quality of life issues.  This is another key area of practice with many emerging therapies.

Productive Aging

The Good Stuff.

More Stats FROM 2012

Specific to Utah 22