Occupational Therapy

There are many reasons why you may need occupational therapy. You might be recovering from an acute injury or trauma like a stroke. Or maybe you’re living with a chronic (ongoing) neurological condition like multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s disease. Or it could be that you’re simply feeling challenged physically by the natural aging process.

Occupational therapy can help you with all kinds of tasks — like bathing, brushing your teeth, eating, gardening, cooking, cleaning or even using a computer or driving. An effective occupational therapy treatment plan can help you feel more independent and confident as you go about your day. But before you start therapy sessions, you’ll have an evaluation so our team can get a better idea of how we can help.

What to expect during your evaluation

At your first appointment, you’ll meet with one of our experienced occupational therapists and talk about what’s been going on. Your therapist will want to understand what things you feel you can no longer do and if you have specific treatment goals.

As your therapist talks with you, they’ll take notes so they can build the most personalized treatment plan possible. This helps them plan what we call interventions — the tools, techniques and strategies that will help you with daily activities. Think of them as “life hacks” toward better independence.

Meet Our Occupational Therapy Team

An occupational therapist leads your treatment. But they’ll work closely with your primary care provider (PCP) and any specialists you see, like:

• Rheumatologists.
• Neurologists.
• Orthopaedists.
• Oncologists.
• Lymphedema specialists.
• Plastic surgeons.

Your care team works together to make sure your treatment plan meets your goals and delivers the best possible results.

Your treatment plan is unique to you. The interventions we build into it focus on the things you want to do more easily so you can live as self-sufficiently as possible. And in a way that’s safe and convenient for you.

We may develop interventions to help you reach goals like:

• Grocery shopping, cleaning your house or driving your car.
• Typing, writing or using computers and smartphones.
• Bathing and dressing without help.
• Returning to work.
• Managing your medications and the impact of a medical condition.
• Doing daily tasks after a change in vision, memory, concentration or executive function.
• Using swollen arms/hands after cancer treatment.

One type of common intervention is learning how to use new pieces of assistive equipment, like bathtub benches, grab rails, dressing aids or adaptive utensils. We can also teach you how to modify or adjust areas in your home or workplace to make these environments easier to navigate. If necessary, we can also provide specialty therapy, like hand occupational therapy.

But no occupational therapy treatment plan is carved in stone. Your care team will keep an eye on how you’re doing. They’ll ask you questions like, “Are things improving?” or “Do you think you want to try a different approach?” Then, if needed, we’ll adjust your interventions to help you keep moving toward your goals.

It’s important to remember that your occupational therapist is a teammate, coach and teacher all in one. They’ll help you find the best ways (and tools) to help yourself. And they’ll guide you through any exercises you need to learn to move forward — cheering you on as you do.

Taking the Next Step

It can be hard to admit that you might need help doing things that used to be easy. But it’s the first important step toward becoming more independent. Our occupational therapists are here to help you get back on track. They can help you get stronger so you can do things the way you used to or teach you new ways to accomplish your goals. We’re here to listen, answer your questions and find the best ways to help you live your life as independently as possible.