Occupational Therapy FAQs

FAQs about Occupational Therapy (OT) ... 

I just want to step back and explain what OT is in a general sense. I think it can still be muddy, despite my efforts to explain throughout the blog. Here's a snapshot to clear.. and maybe muddy.. some things up. :)


Q: Do you help people get jobs?
A: Yes and no. 
The word "occupation" is a general term meaning more a job. In OT, occupation refers to anything someone needs to get done to maintain their well-being (eating, showering, getting dressed, etc.), anything someone needs to do to take care of their household (make meals, take care of a child or pet, drive, grocery shop, access the community), and anything that is important to their roles and sense of self (resuming hobbies, passions, leisure activities, social activities, work). So yes, I may help someone with a worker's comp injury to get them back to work. I may help someone with a disability get a job with modifications and advocate for them to the employer. But I may also help someone just get back to daily tasks in life (do basic self-care after a surgery, traumatic accident, stroke, mental illness episode, etc).



Q: So you're like a doctor? 
A: Nope. :) 
I work on the medical team, so I may talk with doctors, nurses, surgeons, physical therapists, speech therapists, nutritionists, etc. but I have very different duties than a doctor. 

Q: So you're like a physical therapist (PT)?
A: Yes and no.
OTs work on physical rehab as well as mental health rehab. Our work does overlap with PTs quite a bit depending on what setting we work in. We are both motor therapists. But we work under different models, meaning we have different outcomes we are aiming for. Just some areas off the top of my head that OTs can work on that differ from PTs include: 

• Feeding and swallowing (doing swallow studies, determining what kind of thickened liquid diet someone needs to prevent getting food in their lungs, etc.)
• Kitchen safety (stove, oven, and knife safety is assessed if being discharged home without supervision)

• Adaptive equipment (ranging from simple things that help people with limited range of motion, strength, or coordination to dress, bathe, feed themselves... to high-tech like eye-gaze technology, communication devices, and power chairs)
• Environmental adaptations to safely age in place, or remodel a home to fit a long-term need (Alzheimer's, spinal cord injury)
• Mental health - assessing mental status and teaching coping skills and life skills for independence 
• Driving rehab - assessing someone's judgment, safety, cognition, and awareness; doing on road and off road testing 

Q: Do you diagnose?
A: Nope. :) 
I have been educated on the criteria and symptoms of quite a variety of diagnoses in order to help me give proper treatments. My sessions with clients tend to be longer than others on the medical team, so I often gather information others haven't seen and report back. The things I see and things clients disclose to me may help lead to a diagnosis, but I can only present to the doctor what I see. I do not have the authority to diagnose. 



Q: Do you prescribe medicine?
A: Nope. :) 
I have been educated on some common medications and their side effects. In my time with clients, I may notice side effects or red flags from medications, that I report back to the team. My role is to educate clients on their diagnosis and their medications so they understand why they are taking them. OTs care about routines and behaviors, so we help clients with managing their medications by creating routines, timers, labels, color-coded systems, checklists... anything that promotes the taking of meds as prescribed. We also work with caregivers on how to promote medication compliance in their loved ones.


Q: Where do OTs work?
A: All over. 

• Schools (elementary, middle, and high schools)
• Hospitals (state, local, and private; rehab, VNAs, and mental)
• Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)
• Home healthcare agencies (elder care from home to home)
• Early intervention agencies (baby care from home to home)
• Outpatient offices (hand clinics, rehab appointments)
• Sensory clinics for children with sensory processing disorders
• Private practice
• Prisons (rehab for inmates - fractures and stab wounds)
• Industry ergonomics (assessing workplaces for safety and better ways of doing tasks to prevent injuries and save money)
• Medical equipment companies (fitting for wheelchairs & prosthetic limbs)
• Independent contractor (consult with architects and contractors on disability-friendly designs for hospitals or businesses)
• Insurance companies (enforcing ethical billing and looking for unethical OT billing)
• Driving rehab clinics (assessing driving &relearning abilities post-diagnosis)

      

                         

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