8 Benefits of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is designed to treat patients by using daily activities as a therapy to improve hand-eye coordination or fine motor skills. Our occupational therapists (OT) may use self-care activities, like dressing and bathing, or writing to help improve fine motor skills. Occupational therapy is performed by licensed therapists.

So, what can an occupational therapist do to help an aging patient? Here’s how…

1. Overcome the struggles of everyday life. OTs help improve fine motor skills and range of motion through a variety of exercises that can make daily tasks more manageable.
2. Prevent falls. OTs provide balance and muscle-building exercises that can prevent falls.
3. Recommendations for patients with dementia. OTs can make recommendations that can make life easier for patients with dementia.
4. Assist caregivers. An OT can teach healthy coping skills to caregivers and educate them on the patient’s status and any current research regarding the patient’s condition and illness.
5. Life transitions. OTs can help elderly patients deal with life transitions by educating them and providing health coping skills.
6. Vision loss. Elderly patients who suffer from vision loss or eye diseases tend to struggle with performing simple everyday tasks. OTs conduct exercises with elderly patients that improve perceptual vision, pattern detection, and overall visual awareness. Occupational therapists will also commonly suggest changes in the home or workplace to make sure their vision loss does not get in the way of everyday life.
7. Home modifications. OTs will review the layout of the patient’s home and make recommendations to modify the space that promote a safe independent lifestyle.
8. Memory rehabilitation. All elderly people suffer some degree of memory loss. Some activities OTs conduct to assist the patient’s in regaining their memory are puzzles, placement of signs, allowing only a limited number of items for patients that suffer confusion, and more.

So…do you have a family member that is struggling to complete daily tasks on their own? Have many of the strategies you have tried failed? It may be time to enlist the assistance of an occupational therapist. Contact our team today for details on how to secure care.