Rehabilitation ~ What is it? Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Anne Comber Madison, MS, PT Assistant Facility Director Rehabilitation Services Department UPMC Shadyside Hospital

Rehabilitation: What is it? Rehabilitation = Treatment designed to restore some or all of a patient’s physical, sensory, and mental capabilities that were lost due to injury, illness, or disease. It can reverse many disabling conditions or can help patients cope with deficits that cannot be reversed by medical care. It is achieved by restoring the patient's physical functions and/or modifying the patient's physical and social environment. Physical Therapy* Occupational Therapy* Speech/Language Pathology *Listed in Top 30 of America’s Best Careers of 2009 per U.S. News and World Report US News and World reports recently released it's list of best careers for the year 2009.  Great news!  Physical and Occupational Therapy both ranked in the top 30 careers. 

What is Physical Therapy? Allied medical career that focuses on promoting the patient’s ability to move, reducing pain, restoring function and preventing disability. Work in many different settings & with many different age groups Hospital, Rehab Facility, Skilled Nursing Facility, Assisted Living, Home Health, School, Education/Research, Outpatient, Sports Medicine --just to name a few! It uses therapeutic exercise and skilled interventions to improve an individuals overall physical abilities including strength, balance, endurance etc..

Physical Therapist Doctorate in Physical Therapy entry level degree (DPT) from an accredited program Academic post-graduate work with clinical internships in a variety of settings Training has an extensive clinical focus with a research base Most schools require volunteer hours; prerequisites vary by school but are science-based Must be licensed to practice in Pennsylvania (state exam) Need to obtain continuing education credits to maintain credentials Sample course work: anatomy/physiology, kinesiology, chemistry, biology, very science-math driven) If you are interested in PT school or becoming a PT, most Universities and colleges require some type of relevant volunteer hours such as volunteering in a PT clinic, hospital etc… Different licensure and requirements per state. To maintain in good standing need to attend a certain # of courses/seminars every 3 years…

What do Physical Therapists do? Evaluate and Examine Examples of PT treatment Gait Training Therapeutic Exercise Balance/Coordination Training Functional Transfer Training Modalities i.e. heat, ice, ultrasound, electric stimulation, etc.. Patient Education Just to name a few……….. No matter what setting you work in – the first step in the process is evaluation – using different types of assessments and tools to determine the patient’s deficits and/or needs. PTs examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. In addition, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles. Once you evaluate the patient, you next identify goals for the patient to achieve. You also choose what treatment methods or interventions are you are going to use to achieve or meet those goals. Depending on the patient and/or setting, there are a variety of different PT treatment approaches you can utilize. Here are a few examples…

Physical Therapy Career Jobs are wide spread and PT’s are in demand Average annual income (depending on the setting & location): $50,000-70,000 Not shift oriented, normally office hours with some weekend coverage

Physical Therapy Assistants Associate Degree level of education Can also work in a variety of practice settings Must work under the direction and supervision of a licensed PT Must pass a national exam for licensure/certification/registration Can perform treatments (no evaluations). Average annual income (depending on setting/location): $30,000-40,000 Along with PT’s, there are also PTA’s.

What is Occupational Therapy? Allied medical career that focuses on patient’s functional independence in everyday life activities and the overall improvement of their quality of life Training has an extensive clinical focus with a research base Work in many different settings & with many different age groups Hospital, Rehab Facility, Skilled Nursing Facility, Work Hardening, Home Health, School, Daycare, Outpatient, Private Practice, Mental Health, Community Settings --just to name a few! Occupational therapists help patients improve their ability to perform tasks in living and working environments. They work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling condition. Occupational therapists use treatments to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living and work skills of their patients. The therapist helps clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function. The goal is to help clients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives. What are occupations? Everything we do to occupy our time. Can be as simple and basic as buttoning your shirt, brushing you teeth or more complex such as balancing your checkbook, driving, caring for your child. Depending on the patient (their age, gender, roles )each patient has their own unique set of occupations they engage in.

Occupational Therapists Masters in Occupational Therapy entry level degree  moving towards doctoral level Academic classroom work followed by fieldwork education in a variety of settings Most schools require relevant volunteer hours; prerequisite courses vary but are science-based Must be licensed & board certified to practice in Pennsylvania (national exam) CEU’s required to maintain national registry Sample Course work: Anatomy/Physiology, Chemistry, Bio, Physics, Psych. Classes, Research Classes All entry-level educational programs prepare you to be a generalist. Specializing in one area of practice would be something you would pursue after you graduate and successfully pass the national certification examination. Many practitioners do select a specialty area of practice. Others change their area of practice throughout their careers. Occupational therapy provides a great deal of career flexibility. Fieldwork education is a crucial part of your preparation to become an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant. It provides you with an opportunity to carry out practice and other professional responsibilities under supervision and role modeling by an experienced practitioner

What do Occupational Therapist’s do? Evaluation Interventions Activities of daily life = ADL’s (bathing, dressing, grooming, cooking, cleaning, driving etc…) Functional transfer training (chair, couch, tub, car) Therapeutic Exercise Splinting Patient Education (home safety, energy conservation, etc) Recommendations for use of adaptive equipment, durable medical equipment Sensory Integration Cognitive Training Visual-perceptual Training Home Modification Like PT, the OT process also begins with evaluation – so evaluating the patient in the occupations in which they engage in. And remember, this will vary depending on the client and setting. Occupations to you and occupations to me…may be very different. Remember, they are everything you do to occupy your time… Typically, you focus on 3 main areas of occupation: self-care, work & play/leisure.

Occupational Therapy –Career Employment is expected to grow much faster than average and job opportunities should be good, especially for therapists treating the elderly. Annual average income (dependent on setting/location): $50,000-60,000 Not shift oriented, normally office hours with weekend coverage Like Physical therapy, OT’s are also in demand and remain one of the top careers. Because of the baby boom population increasing in age & medical advances, people are living longer and a stronger emphasis on increasing QOL.

Occupational Therapist Assistants Associate Degree level of education Variety of practice settings Still need to be licensed & board certified Require supervision by a therapist Collaborate with occupational therapist Cannot complete evaluations, only treatments. Annual average salary (dependent on location/setting): $30,000-40,000 Collaborate: assist OTR in goal setting/planning process.

THANK YOU! Questions…? Check out: www.aota.org www.apta.org www.usnews.com/money/careers Interested in shadowing experiences? … Call Shadyside Volunteer Office at: 412-623-2017 Call Rehab Services at: 412-623-2067 THANK YOU!