Occupational Therapist

OVERVIEW:

Occupational therapy practitioners focus on “achieving health, well-being, and participation in life and address training in self-care skills; training in the use of adaptive equipment, compensatory techniques, and environmental modifications; and behavioral and mental health issues.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Remediating instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) related to the patient’s discharge environment, such as preparing a meal or managing one’s home or finances
• Training in functional mobility, such as how to prepare a meal while using an ambulatory device
• Preparing the client and family for community reintegration (as appropriate for the client’s discharge site) with activities such as public dining or emergency response management
• Assessing the need for and recommending potential home modifications and safety equipment to reduce barriers and promote safe functioning upon discharge
• Exploring adaptations and compensatory strategies for return to volunteer or paid employment
• Assessing current leisure skills to determine whether modifications are needed to continue participation and/or assisting with exploring new leisure pursuits
• Teaching functional mobility, including using an ambulatory device and/or transfers to different surfaces, such as a bed, chair, toilet, or shower in order to perform self-care and personal tasks; and training in wheelchair mobility and safety appropriate for the resident’s level of cognition and perception.
• Remediating or enhancing IADLs, such as ability to use the telephone or the emergency staff call system
• Teaching residents with cognitive and perceptual deficits in compensatory techniques to maximize abilities in areas such as attention span, orientation, sequencing, and/or memory.

• Teaching residents with low vision how to maximize their remaining vision and enhance safety through compensatory techniques, environmental modifications, assistive technology, and adaptive equipment.

• Modifying the environment and adapting tasks for safety (e.g., falls prevention, fatigue management)

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:

• Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from an accredited program
• Successful completion of National Certification Examination
• 1 year of verifiable, supervised professional experience within the last 3 years

• Valid OT license in the state of practice