Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy helps pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients improve the functional use of upper extremities, and the performance skills for activities of daily living, as well as thinking, visual, spatial and perceptual skills.

Occupational therapy benefits those with limitations in self-care, arm and hand function, cognitive or perceptual skills, home management, community skills, leisure skills and vocational skills, as well as patients with:

arthritis
back surgery
brain tumors
cancer
chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease
diabetes
hand, wrist, arm injury (such as carpal tunnel, tendonitis)

heart disease
neurological disorders
osteoporosis
spinal cord injury
strokes
traumatic brain injury
upper or lower extremity limitations

Evaluation

In order to develop a individualized treatment plan, we will assess:

Activities of daily living: dressing, bathing, grooming/hygiene, toileting and feeding abilities
Functional mobility: bed mobility, toilet and bathtub transfers, and sitting/standing balance
Physical limitations: impact of pain, shortness of breath, reaching ability and balance on the patient's ability to perform daily living activities
Upper extremity function: passive and active joint range of motion, strength, muscle tone, coordination, movement patterns and sensation
Home management: ability to perform household tasks, money management, functional communication (e.g. use of the telephone, writing a letter) and care for dependent children or adults
Perceptual skills: visual scanning and tracking, motor-planning, figure-ground discrimination and depth perception
Community living and leisure: ability to function within the community (e.g. driving, use of public transportation) and participate in leisure activities
Vocational skills: skills for work readiness or job task performance

Treatment

Treatment is available for all areas evaluated. Additional services include:

Splinting (custom or prefabricated)
Assistive device training to improve function at home, work or school
Patient and family/caregiver education
Work site adaptation and modification
Osteoporosis and arthritis exercise

Back to Rehab Services