Occupational therapy, or OT, is a medical practice that provides exercise and therapeutic tools to help you perform everyday tasks and duties. Occupational therapists work closely with your doctors and physical therapists to determine your course of rehabilitative treatment. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, OT does not refer to a job or working occupation, but to basic living skills, such as bathing, eating and dressing.
Features
You may need occupational therapy following a surgery or medical procedure. After a stroke or heart attack, you could need help developing the muscles and coordination to brush your teeth or remove and replace dentures. Holding a spoon and fork and practicing cutting up food correctly with a knife are common OT exercises often required after major medical events. As you age, you might need to learn how to perform everyday activities in different ways or with different tools.
Considerations
Occupational therapists may enter your home and begin with an evaluation of your living arrangements. An occupational therapist may order adaptive equipment and teach you how to use it. Getting in and out of the bathtub often is a challenge. With grab bars and shower seats, for example, you may need to practice a series of targeted exercises designed to teach proper movements when getting in and out of the tub.
Mobility
Occupational therapists often work in concert with visiting physical therapists to increase your mobility and create a safe environment to prevent falls. While the physical therapist may help you perform exercises such as leg lifts and sitting up and down, the occupational therapist may design a walking path through your home and walk with you as you stroll with a walker. The occupational therapist may remove loose rugs and other interferences.
Services
In addition to mobility exercises that require the occupational therapist to design walking trails in your home and to basic eating, dressing and bathing exercises, other services OT may provide include driving and transportation. An occupational therapist may test you to make recommendations about your driving abilities and have you perform regular driving exercises to keep up with your progress. Other OT exercises involve making lists for banking and shopping. If you are no longer capable of driving, an occupational therapist may run through exercises teaching you how to catch the bus or contact other transportation providers.
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