Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent - or live better with - injury, illness, or disability.
At Hansen Family Hospital, common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing support for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes. Occupational therapy services typically include:
- An individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person's goals.
- Customized intervention to improve the person's ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals.
- An outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan.
Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment and/or task to fit the person, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team. It is an evidence-based practice deeply rooted in science.
What to Expect
Occupational Therapists assist patients in performing activities of all kinds, ranging from using a computer to caring for daily needs, such as dressing, cooking and eating. Physical exercises may be used to increase strength and dexterity, while paper and pencil games may be chosen to improve visual acuity and the ability to discern patterns. A patient suffering from short-term memory loss, for instance, might be encouraged to make lists to aid recall. One with coordination problems might be given extra tasks to improve hand-eye coordination.
For those with permanent functional disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, Cerebral Palsy, or Muscular Dystrophy, therapists provide such adaptive equipment as wheelchairs, splints, and aids for eating and dressing. They also design or make special equipment needed at home or work. Therapists develop and teach patients to operate computer-aided adaptive equipment.
Occupational Therapists also work with industrial workers. They help modify work sites and evaluate how certain jobs are performed so they can be redesigned to make them safer.
Conditions We Treat
- Work related injuries-especially to the upper extremity
- Amputees and people with special prosthetics
- Stroke or heart attack victims
- People with arthritis, multiple sclerosis or permanent disabilities
- People with mental health problems
- People with head injuries
- People suffering from severe burns and spinal cord trauma
- Fabricate custom orthotic devices to increase functional ability or prevent a deformity of the upper extremities
- Mentally ill or emotionally disturbed individuals by teaching them coping skills
Occupational Therapists treat and help patients achieve independence-often reteaching skills used in everyday life that many of us take for granted.
More about Occupational Therapists
- Design individual treatment programs aimed at improving someone's ability to carry out activities of daily living
- Evaluate home and work environments and recommend necessary adaptations
- Assess and treat work related performance skills
- Recommend and train individuals to use special adaptive equipment to replace lost functions
- Instruct and educate family members and attendants in the safe and effective methods of caring for the special needs person.
- Fabricates custom orthotic devices to increase functional ability or prevent deformity of upper extremities
You must be referred to occupational therapy by your physician. All occupational therapy patients receive an evaluation. Changes in the resulting treatment plan may occur depending on a patient's response to treatment. Occupational therapists also work closely with other members of the rehabilitation team.
Meet Our Staff
Madeleine, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Madeleine is a graduate of the occupational therapy program at Creighton University in Omaha, NE where she received her Bachelor of Science degree. She is nationally certified in Occupational Therapy, as well as licensed by the State of Iowa. She has continued her education by attending classes in hand rehabilitation, splinting, and joint mobilization.
For more information on Occupational Therapy at Hansen Family Hospital, call (641)648-7055.