What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

If you are wondering, “What does a occupational therapist do?” You want to work in a medical field that will give you direct patient interaction. 

The dynamic and influential field of occupational therapy is committed to assisting people to lead more independent and satisfying lives. When attending to the individual requirements of their clients, occupational therapists, or OTs, operate in a variety of situations. 

In this in-depth blog post, we will talk about what does an occupational therapist do for caregivers, covering the roles and responsibilities, as well as the environments in which they practice. We will also talk about the significant effects they have on the lives of those they assist, and how to become one.

What Does It Mean to Be an Occupational Therapist? 

When a person struggles with daily duties or the tasks that “occupy” them, occupational therapy might be helpful. An occupational therapist can determine your areas of strength and weakness, including dressing and traveling to the stores. After that, they can assist you in formulating workable answers. You can keep, reclaim, or enhance your independence with the assistance of an OT. To better understand what does an occupational therapist do for adults, an OT might advise trying new methods, altering their surroundings, or utilizing new equipment etc.

These may consist of:

• Taking care of oneself
• Employment or education
• Interactions with others
• Pastimes
• Participating in their community

What Does A Occupational Therapist Do?

Evaluation

Occupational therapists perform comprehensive evaluations to identify the goals, problems, and strengths of their clients. This could entail working with other medical professionals to acquire thorough data, assessing people in a variety of settings, and observing them in different contexts.

Some occupational therapy examples include:

• Therapy Scheduling: Occupational therapists create customized treatment regimens based on the exam results. These programs are designed to meet certain objectives, improve functional skills, and encourage independence in day-to-day tasks.
• Intervention: Occupational therapy interventions encompass a wide range of techniques, such as creating coping mechanisms, equipment adaptations, exercises, therapeutic activities, and environmental changes.
• Rehabilitating: Occupational therapists are essential to the rehabilitation process because they work with people who have had illnesses, surgeries, or injuries, to assist them in regaining independence and participate in fulfilling activities.
• Support for mental health: There is a growing trend of occupational therapists providing mental health services. They support people in coping with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
• Encouraging quality of life: Occupational therapists take a proactive stance toward health by participating in wellness promotion. They strive to improve the quality of life by preventing accidents and impairments.
• Resolving the needs of the aging population: Occupational therapists are essential in helping older persons keep their own dignity and lead satisfying lives as the world’s population ages. Concerns about mobility, cognitive decline, the need for house adaptations and adaptive devices, and other aging-related issues are addressed. 

Which Body Parts Are Treated by Occupational Therapists?

Typically, wrist, hand, elbow, and shoulder disorders are the areas of expertise for occupational therapists. On the other hand, they can help with ailments that impact the entire body. The treatment options will differ because every client’s circumstances are different. As a result, an occupational therapist can modify their strategy to suit your needs. To help individuals with mental problems, they will, for instance, concentrate on cognitive activities.

The profession of occupational therapy has several subtypes. However, providing healthcare for the elderly is a specialty of certain occupational therapists. They create the most effective treatment programs, which may include specialized exercises, to assist you in meeting your psychological, physical, emotional, and environmental demands. 

How to Become an Occupational Therapist?

The following steps describe the usual school and career path for someone who feels drawn to the field of occupational therapy: 

• Academic qualifications: Acquire a bachelor’s degree, preferably in psychology or health sciences. Coursework in anatomy, psychology, and psychology is frequently helpful, however, specific majors may differ.
• Master’s degree: Obtain a master’s degree through a recognized institution. Typically, these programs combine classroom learning with supervised clinical rotations. 
• Clinical and field rotations: Fulfill clinical rotations and fieldwork requirements for your master’s degree. You will gain practical exposure to a range of locations and client populations through this hands-on experience.
• Certificate of qualification: Obtain the necessary licenses to work as an occupational therapist. State and national licensing standards differ, but most involve completing a national exam, such as NBCOT (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy). 
• Continuing education and specialization: Occupational therapist education requires a continues focus on mental health, pediatrics, or geriatrics. Maintaining up to date with the latest developments in the area requires ongoing education.
• Certification for professionalism: Although a license is required, getting more certificates can increase your marketability and level of knowledge. There are occupational therapy certifications available in several specializations.
• Join associations for professionals: Think about becoming a member of associations for occupational therapists, such as the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) or the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Access to materials, chances for networking, and continual professional development are all provided by membership. 

How long does it take to become an occupational therapist? It may take up to 5 or 6 years to become a licensed occupational therapist. Prior to finishing a master’s degree, working in the area to gather experience, candidates must earn a bachelor’s degree as well.

Occupational Therapists Work Settings?

Understanding the topic of what does a occupational therapist do? goes beyond mere duties and responsibilities, but also includes work locations. Occupational therapists operate in a variety of working environments. 

Typical environments include the following:

• Medical facilities: Occupational therapists assist patients in hospitals who are recovering from diseases, operations, or injuries. Frequently working in conjunction with other medical specialists, they are essential in assisting people in regaining their freedom and capacity.
• Educational institutions: What does an occupational therapist do in schools? School-based occupational therapists assist kids in overcoming developmental obstacles so they can fully engage in social and academic activities. They collaborate closely with parents and teachers to establish conducive learning environments. 
• Centers for rehabilitation: Intensive therapy is offered by rehabilitation institutions to patients recuperating from serious illnesses or accidents. Occupational therapists handle the physical and cognitive components of rehabilitation as part of the interdisciplinary approach in these settings.
• Health centers in the community: Occupational therapists can collaborate with a variety of demographics in healthcare settings, catering to each person’s specific requirements. Along with collaborating with other community agencies, they support daily living activities and wellness.
• Institutions for mental health: Occupational therapy is increasingly focusing on mental health. Through therapeutic activities, skill-building exercises, and coping strategies, mental health facility therapists assist patients in managing their disorders. 
• In-home medical care: Occupational therapists may pay house calls to give individualized treatment and evaluate the living space. Interventions that concentrate on the person’s everyday struggles in their living environment are possible in this setting.
• Retirement communities: Occupational therapists assist senior citizens in long-term care environments, including assisted living centers or nursing homes, in maintaining or enhancing their functional abilities. Their main objectives are to improve living conditions and make people’s quality of life better. 

Occupational Therapist Vs Physical Therapist 

The primary distinction between an occupational therapist and physical therapy is that the former enhances the patient’s capacity to carry out activities of daily living while the later concentrates on increasing the patient’s range of motion.

Children Occupational Therapy

Children engage in interacting, learning, and playing daily. Occupational therapy is frequently necessary for children who face obstacles. Children with physical impairments, sensory processing abnormalities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, and other conditions are treated by therapists.

Child occupational therapy benefits include: 

• Engage in social interaction
• Acquire self-care skills, such as dressing
• Establish routines for your home and school
• Reach developmental benchmarks

What Do Occupational Therapists Help with?

Physical Impairments

Individuals with impairments or those recuperating from sickness or accident occasionally want assistance to resume their regular routines. There may be numerous concerns regarding adjusting at home as well as in other environments when an individual has a new medical condition.

Among the medical issues that occupational therapists assist with are: 

• Arthritis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Continues discomfort
• Damage to the brain
• Stroke

 An occupational therapist can assist in a variety of ways.

As an illustration, they could: 

• Offer advice on how to make your house safer
• Offer advice about the use of assistive technology
• Educate caregivers 
• Offer help in approaching tasks in a new way

Mental Well-Being

Individuals with mental health issues who require assistance with organizing and planning, creating effective routines, problem-solving, and other tasks can receive the care of some occupational therapists. 

Conclusion

If you are still reading up to this point, you must be able to answer the question “What does a occupational therapist do?” from a professional standpoint. And with all you have gathered so far, you should be able to move forward with your career as an occupational therapist now that you have a better understanding of their role and the enormous positive effects they have on their patient’s overall quality of life.