Occupational therapy (OT) treats people who have trouble performing daily activities due to an illness, injury, or disability. Occupational therapists teach people of all ages to live life comfortably by improving the motor skills involved in everyday tasks, like getting dressed and writing. They can also help children with disabilities to participate in sports, assist those recovering from an injury to regain a specific skill-set and offer support to seniors facing physical challenges. The best part about OT is that it is cost-effective and based on scientific research.
Here are some popular benefits of OT:
Improves physical functioning
The OT helps individuals in mastering skills to carry out daily chores without depending on others. For instance, if a person is suffering a loss of some function on one side of their body, the occupational therapist would first recommend a change in equipment like safety bars, a shower bench, or a wheelchair ramp. The therapist would then train the person to use the equipment to lead a normal life. Individuals who’ve had a stroke are trained to improve balance, build muscle strength, and carry out daily exercises.
Improves an individual’s independence
OT is all about fostering independence among individuals regardless of their illness, injury, or disability. For instance, independence for kids could include doing tasks involving personal hygiene (grooming, toileting, bathing), dressing, eating/self-feeding, playing, learning, and handwriting. For teenagers, it could mean preparing food (breakfast, lunch, dinner), laundry, classroom tasks, and tasks involving computers (typing/keyboarding). For adults, it could range from managing household chores (cooking, cleaning, paying bills) and/or parenting. If a person is able to do something independently, it helps improve their self-confidence.
OT can work on functional cognition
Functional cognition refers to how individuals utilize and integrate their thinking and processing skills to accomplish complex everyday activities such as household and financial management, medication management, volunteer activities, and driving. Occupational therapists are trained to measure the functional cognition of an individual. They can quickly identify any performance-based cognitive impairments, prompting the implementation of an occupational therapy care plan.
Helps improve social skills
Occupational therapists employ techniques to support the child to establish better social skills. For instance, if a kid is experiencing problems by working in certain environments, like crowded or noisy places, an occupational therapist may assess the environment and formulate a technique to help them cope better. A therapist may help children by breaking down activities and informing them what to do in social settings. A therapist may also use often-enjoyable teaching strategies to educate children on things like personal space and sharing.
Helps people with low vision
Seniors suffering from various eye conditions can find it difficult to complete daily tasks. Occupational therapists can recommend the most effective lighting for a particular area of activity. It helps enhance the safety of elderly adults. They may also employ methods such as visual scanning, visual tracking, and eccentric viewing to help people learn to use their remaining vision more efficiently. Individuals may also be asked to use tools such as magnifiers to adapt to the environment.
About Cornerstone at the Ranch
Cornerstone at the Ranch is a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Lafayette, Louisiana that provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy, 24-hour skilled nursing, dietary services, and social services. Our nurses and team’s quality and loving care is our biggest strength and the reason behind the quick recovery of our residents.
You can call us at (337) 981-5335 or fill our contact form to schedule a tour of our center.