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Patient Education

2018-08-06
Occupational Therapy: What Does It Mean?

Physiotherapy in EdmontonHow much do you know about occupational therapy? This health profession is patient-centered. It customizes the treatment that the patient receives based on a number of factors. The patient’s current condition, as well as the patient’s goals for a period, are two factors where the occupational therapy will revolve around in. The primary purpose of each therapy session is to help the patient cope up with the everyday demands of living.

Occupational therapists can achieve this by working hand in hand with the people as well as the community where the patient belongs. It is where they can gauge the wants, needs as well as expectations of the patient as well as the people around them. The practice is then modified to fit the needs of the patient to provide better support for their occupational engagement with the community and their immediate families.

What is an Occupation as Described in Occupational Therapy?

Simply put, occupation is the ability of a person to relate with and experience regular human functions. This includes the roles that each one plays in the family and the larger scale of the community. They things that we do also become who we are in the community. Finally, occupation is when the person can build a world where he can live on his own and discover the many things he can do in life.

However, there are things more specific than this that needs to be adjusted based on the patient’s needs, wants as well as their family’s expectations. For some patients, occupational therapy may feel more like a chore, that’s why they often do not like time spent during therapy. And then there are others who see it as mere fun. These are those patients who have a lot of fun during the therapy, but end up not taking it seriously to learn it.

The activity for every therapy session is different. Some may categorize it as work while others see it as play. The goal of every therapy session is not to make a mere impression of what it’s like. Preferably, it is a blend of productivity, restoration, and pleasure all at the same time.

Who is Recommended to Undergo Occupational Therapy?

Patients who undergo this therapy are those who need assistance in learning life skills that they need. People who have been diagnosed with particular condition undergo this therapy to help them cope up with the demands of the situation they are in. Patients who have been in an accident that causes significant trauma on the body and the brain are recommended to undergo such therapy as well. This is to help them get back on their feet and functional as they have always would. Occupational therapy is patient-based. You will only get the help that you need.