By: Emily Parrell, OTR/L
Occupational Therapy is a newer and unique addition to the healthcare rehabilitation team. Although the driving concepts behind Occupational Therapy of holistic patient centered care have always been entwined in the medical field, OT wasn’t formalized as a profession until 1920. During WWI “reconstruction aids” provided what we would now consider occupational therapy services to wounded soldiers. The U.S. military noted that the soldiers’ recovery improved when their time was “occupied” through the interventions that were provided by the reconstruction aids. The reconstruction aids began using activities of daily living as treatment for the wounded soldiers which created the foundation for the profession today.
Today occupational therapy stands as a rich and vibrant piece of the healthcare team, although at times it can be misunderstood. Within this context the definition of an occupation is “day-to-day activities that enable people to sustain themselves, to contribute to the life of their family, and to participate in the broader society”. Occupational Therapists can implement a variety of evidenced based treatments to help their patient’s reach their goals. Some of these treatments may include manual therapy, sensory integration, use of modalities, therapeutic exercise, implementing assistive devices, and assisting with participation in ADLs and IADLs. OTs work with people across the entire lifespan. You can find OTs making a difference everywhere from the NICU to retirement communities! Every intervention provided by an occupational therapist is focused on helping a patient reach their desired goals in a holistic and meaningful way.
In April we celebrate OT Month to acknowledge and spread the word of how occupational therapy can make a positive impact in everyone’s life. We are so proud of our team of inpatient and outpatient occupational therapist and celebrate all that they do.
This April celebrate OT month with us by scheduling an appointment with Virginian Rehab and Wellness and see for yourself all the good OT can do!