The Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Team - The Occupational Therapist
Saturday, October 22, 2011
A prominent member of the brain-trauma treatment team will probably be an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists help patients improve their ability to perform, activities of living and working environments. This type of therapy focuses on enabling people who suffer from mental, physical, conditions of development, or emotionally disabling and manage activities of daily living [ADL]. ADL includes, for example, using only a computer, dressing, cooking, eating, bathing, aswork and related activities.
Occupational therapists are well trained. A master's degree or higher in occupational therapy is the minimum requirement for entry into the field. Course work in occupational therapy programs are the physical sciences, biology and behavior and the application of the theory and skills of occupational therapy. Programs also require the completion of 6 months supervised fieldwork.
Lawyer In Columbus Ohio
Occupational therapy does not work with people to their causeAge. In addition to traditional medical settings, occupational therapists, people can recover from brain trauma seen at birth to three early intervention programs in public schools, such as job coaches, and as part of mental health.
An occupational therapist is a doctor. After a site Ohio State University, "Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that uses" occupation ", or activities aimed to help people with physical disabilities,Emotional or developmental disabilities lead independent, productive and fulfilling lives. "The occupational therapist assesses the capacity for self-care, work and leisure of a person and plans and tools to develop social and interpersonal activities, restoration and / or maintain the person's ability to reach the ADL. The therapist helps the motor functions base and to enhance mental capabilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function. The ultimate goal is to return the person toindependent living, productive and satisfying.
Treatments range from occupational therapists, physical to the spiritual. Physical exercises are used to increase strength and dexterity, while other activities may be selected visual acuity or the ability to recognize patterns to improve. For example, a person called with a brief loss of short-term memory, to do lists to help you remember, while a person might be assigned to improve co-ordination problems with the exercises for the hand-eye coordination.Occupational therapists also use computer programs to help improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problem-solving, and perceptual skills, as well as memory, sequencing, and coordination-all of which are important for independent living.
Other treatments can include the use of adaptive equipment, including wheelchairs, eating aids, dressing aids, design or build special equipment needed at home or at work, including computer-aided adaptive equipment. Teaching can be used on how to Use the device to improve communication and control various situations in their environment
Occupational therapy in the treatment of traumatic brain injury [TBI] during many stages of recovery and rehabilitation used. Such therapy may be involved in the provision of sensory, motor and positioning supports during periods of coma. When the patient improves and gains skills, occupational therapy facilitates the process and re-teaches the basic skills, self-care, to complex cognitive skills such asmemory and problem solving.
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST?
The following is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list of the questions or concerns you should have when choosing an occupational therapist nor is the following meant to disqualify any occupational therapist you are considering, these are meant to enable you to begin a discussion with the occupational therapist.
1. Look for licensing as, typically, such therapists must be licensed, requiring a master's degree in occupational therapy, 6 months of supervised fieldwork, and passing scores on national and State examinations.
2. Do they work full-time in their profession? More than a quarter of occupational therapists work part time.
3. How often will the therapist assess and record your activities? Progress is an important part of an occupational therapist's job. Accurate records are essential for evaluating clients, for billing, and for reporting to physicians and other health care providers.
4. Does the therapist specialize. Some occupational therapists may work exclusively with individuals in a particular age group or with a particular disability. In a school setting, a therapist may work with children individually. Some therapists provide early intervention therapy to infants and toddlers who have, or are at risk of having, developmental delays. Some occupational therapists work only with elderly patients.
5. Will the therapist make home visits? It is important, once you begin to re-establish your independence that you take into account the role TBI will play in coping with your daily life. An occupational therapist can make recommendations for adaptive equipment, training to prolong driving independence, assess homes for hazards and identify environmental factors that could contribute to further injury and injury prevention.
6. Will the therapist visit, and assess, your work environment?
* American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. Internet: http://www.aota.org
Copyright (c) 2008 David Bressman
The Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Team - The Occupational Therapist