Unsung healthcare heroes shine during Occupational Therapy Month

If you’ve ever experienced occupational therapy as part of recovery from an injury or surgery, you know what lifesavers these people are! If not — trust us. These men and women are kind, creative and endlessly supportive to people who are trying to get back to their most active life possible, and they can work wonders.

We’re happy to honor and celebrate them during Occupational Therapy Month, brought to us by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Occupational therapy helps people of all ages do the things they want and need to do, and help them heal from, live better with or even prevent injury, illness or disability.

Did you know that occupational therapists also work with children with disabilities so they can more fully participate in school and social situations? Or with older adults who are experiencing not just physical issues, but cognitive and awareness changes?

According to the AOTA, that includes:

•       an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals 
•       customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals
•        an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan

A lot, right? They do all that and more, thanks to a holistic perspective that considers the person’s environment, and then adapts it to fit where that individual is. Science meets with intuition and compassion, allowing therapists not just to assist, but to also work closely with their patients so that it’s a real team effort.

This year’s theme for Occupational Therapy Month is “Occupational Therapy: Living Life To Its Fullest™” and here are some ideas to celebrate if you’re a therapist, work with them or just want to give back for the care and support you may have received from the members of this profession, seek them out to say hello, and make sure that anyone you know who needs assistance is aware of all that an occupational therapist can do to make life fuller and more enjoyable.