Occupational Therapy helps solve everyday problems that prevent people from doing things that are important to them. It also helps prevent problems or reduce their impact.
An occupational therapist can teach new skills so that a patient is able to meet everyday challenges if an injury, illness, disability or other problem limits their ability to:
- Do personal care (e.g. take a bath);
- Work or go to school;
- Do their groceries;
- Drive their car;
- Have fun (through pastimes, sports, family leisure), etc.
Who can receive occupational therapy services?
- Someone of any age who wants to meet everyday challenges;
- Someone with a physical, cognitive or mental health problem that prevents them from doing all their activities.
How to request occupational therapy services?
You must be sent by a physician to receive services from an occupational therapist in hospital. Exceptions may apply to children.
Services and programs offered
An occupational therapist can do assessments, interventions, consultations and teaching to help a patient be more functional. Here are some examples:
- Doing teaching (for a patient and their family) on the repercussions of an illness, on problem-solving, and on everyday living;
- Helping to maintain a patient’s current level of functioning by teaching methods to plan, control and prioritize activities;
- Helping to adopt good posture;
- Helping to acquire the skills needed to adapt effectively;
- Reducing the impact of an illness by modifying activities and the environment;
- Recommending adaptive equipment;
- Improving quality of life by helping a patient be independent and productive.
Inpatient services
The care teams in most Vitalité Health Network hospitals include occupational therapists. They carry out several types of interventions, including:
- Positioning:
- Rehabilitation;
- Planning the return home, etc.
Outpatient services
Occupational therapists offer several types of interventions for outpatients:
- Assessment of driving prerequisites;
- Hand therapy;
- Neurological and cognitive rehabilitation;
- Therapy related to the development and feeding of preschool children;
- Preoperative teaching in orthopedics;
- Positioning.
Occupational therapists also actively participate in training occupational therapy students and other health professionals.
