April is Occupational Therapy month and due to the role in maintaining function in any environment someone calls home, we would like to address what OT is and some of their “tools of the trade”.
Due to the name, it is often a misunderstood division of therapy and requires explanation. The best way to describe Occupational Therapy is that it’s “The Job of Living”. What does that mean?
Throughout your day, every task you do is your job or “occupation”. This may include getting out of bed in the morning, bathing, getting dressed, using the restroom, or other basic activities of daily living (“BADL). You may also be responsible for getting your food prepared, doing your laundry, cleaning the house, running errands, or other instrumental activities of daily living (“IADL”). Occupational therapy may address your ability to perform these tasks thoroughly and safely from a physical, environmental, or cognitive aspect.
In many therapeutic arenas, there are several basic pieces of adaptive equipment that may increase your independence or safety and that OTs are known for carrying in their “tool kit” of function. Below are some of the more common pieces of equipment.
-
Reacher – Beneficial to people who need to reach items that would otherwise be difficult, due to impaired range of motion, a surgical restriction such as not bending or twisting, out of a safe reach, or a fall risk with bending or reaching up or down.
-
Long handled shoehorn – Putting shoes on without being able to reach down to the heal to properly don them.
-
Sock aid – Difficult or unable to put socks on due to reaching impairments, restrictions, or fall risk.
-
Elastic shoelaces – Inability to reach down to the floor, cross your legs, visual or fine motor deficits.
-
Dressing stick – Used to take off hard to remove items due to reaching or tightness, such as compression hose, socks, shoes.
A home assessment is another beneficial task that OTs perform. This is where recommendations may be made to adapt their environment to maximize safety and reduce risks.
Occupational Therapy requires an order from a physician to evaluate your needs and treat within their scope of practice. If you ever feel you may benefit, reach out to your practitioner.