1 / 22

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy. A Rewarding Career Choice. Occupational Therapy . Occupational Therapy (OT) is a profession dedicated to helping people of all ages live their life to the fullest. OTs promote health and well being in a wide variety of settings including schools, clinics, and hospitals.

syshe
Download Presentation

Occupational Therapy

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Occupational Therapy A Rewarding Career Choice

  2. Occupational Therapy • Occupational Therapy (OT) is a profession dedicated to helping people of all ages live their life to the fullest. OTs promote health and well being in a wide variety of settings including schools, clinics, and hospitals.

  3. Occupational Therapy • OTs identify why people have problems performing routine tasks. • Such tasks, or “activities of daily living”, include bathing, dressing, feeding, managing money and medications. These tasks help individuals lead full and independent lives.

  4. Occupational Therapy • In order to help people maintain independence, OTs evaluate people’s skills and also consider the environment. They make recommendations regarding home modifications and the use of adaptive equipment.

  5. Occupational Therapy - Specialties • Some occupational therapists have specialized training that allows them to evaluate driving skills and make recommendations for adaptive equipment.

  6. Occupational Therapy - Specialties • Other OTs specialize in hand therapy, which focuses on treating orthopedic conditions of the arm and hand. OTs identify what clients want to be able to do in daily life and help rehabilitate diagnoses such as fractures of the hand or arm, amputations, surgical repairs, arthritis, burns and carpal tunnel syndrome.

  7. Occupational Therapy - Specialties Lymphedema is an area of specialized practice. OTs assist with individuals who have swelling related to lymph node impairments, many of these are women who are undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Therapists find this unique area quite rewarding because they have the opportunity to develop close relationships with their clients and provide encouragement and hope.

  8. Occupational Therapy - Specialties • OTs who work in the inpatient hospital setting play an important role in assisting patients who have experienced an illness or injury. Therapists help with early mobilization, restoring function and preventing further difficulties. They help coordinate care and plan for discharge from the hospital.

  9. Occupational Therapy – Specialties • Other areas of specialty practice include: • Low Vision • Pediatrics/School based practice • Neonatal • Home modifications • Emergency Response • Psychiatric care • Wheelchair evaluations • Assistive Technology • Burns

  10. Why did I decide to become an Occupational Therapist?

  11. “…I knew I wanted to work with people in some type of therapy field…there was something about OT that caught my attention - it just seemed to be more personable. A profession where I could work with people and help them to overcome and regain/maintain their independence in their everyday lives. Helping them to do the things we do everyday without a thought as to how we are going to do it such as , bathing, dressing, feeding etc. Wow, that sounded so cool.” Carmen Roberts, OTR Certified Hand Therapist

  12. “I became interested in OT when I was 12...I had an aunt who was 30 at the time who had several major strokes & was undergoing rehabilitation at Loma Linda Hospital in California.  I spent the summer in California with my mom and went to most of my aunt's therapies with her.  Even as a young girl, I gained an appreciation for the quality of life my aunt gained back during her rehab experience.” Kristen Claybrooke, OTR Certified Brain Injury Specialist Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit Carle Foundation Hospital

  13. “…I had never heard of OT but the more I looked into it the more I liked the sound of it.  What interested me most was that the essence of OT involved using functional activities to increase strength, endurance, and coordination rather than simply using repetitive (read: dull) exercise programs.  In addition to this it was clear to me that I would have the opportunity to specialize in a large variety of different areas if I wanted to.” Matthew Hart, OTR Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist Assistive Technology Practitioner Carle Foundation Hospital

  14. Why I find OT to be a rewarding career…

  15. “Through my 25 years as an OT aide, COTA and now a OTR - Certified Hand Therapist I have worked with all ages of people who have been faced with all sorts of challenges. Everyday I feel blessed that I have found a career in which I am truly passionate about! I have seen miracles and witnessed human perseverance and strength at its best through my patients. Not only has the profession of OT introduced me to interesting people through my patients but I have also met the most compassionate and caring people as my colleagues who I am fortunate to work with to help others.” Carmen Roberts, OTR Certified Hand Therapist Carle Foundation Hospital

  16. “I love seeing patients of all ages and being able to maximize their quality of life in functional ways.”Stephanie Stortzum, OTR Acute Care Carle Foundation Hospital

  17. “One of the great things about working as an OT is the tremendous amount of variety that is available.  In my sixteen years as an OT I have worked in about every area imaginable including hospital inpatient and outpatient care, inpatient psych, school consulting, hands, driving evaluations, teaching, management, teaching, nursing home work, and I’ve also acted as a trainer for the hospital electronic medical record system.  The opportunities are limitless!”Rachel Spaide, OTR, Certified Lymphedema Therapist Lymphology Association of North America Carle Foundation Hospital

  18. “I really enjoy the work that I do – especially with wheelchairs and the experience that I have obtained over the years will allow me to seek employment anywhere that I want to.” Matthew Hart, OTR Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist Assistive Technology Practitioner Carle Foundation Hospital

  19. “I love my job working on an inpatient rehabilitation unit as an OT.  I get a chance to work with a great team, and it's very rewarding to watch the persons I work with rebuild skills they need to function in day to day life.  It's a great feeling to have a former patient come back and show off all they've regained or to know that you've helped a person get home with family that may not have made it home without your intervention.” Kristen Claybrooke, OTR Certified Brain Injury Specialist Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit Carle Foundation Hospital

  20. “I love being an OT because it is so rewarding. It feels so good to be able to help people regain independence and return to the life they knew before they came into the hospital.” Sonya Dewitt, OTR Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit Carle Foundation Hospital

  21. “Occupational Therapy provided for me a fantastic framework for problem solving, motivating others and for dealing with change.   My education and experience in OT has helped me to be a better leader and partner to others.   Having a career that develops you as you develop your career is a true win – win.” Lynne Barnes, OTR Vice President, Clinical Operations Carle Foundation Hospital

  22. For more information on the field of Occupational Therapy, you can contact :American Occupational Therapy Association at www.aota.com

More Related