Occupational Therapy in Cecil County, Maryland

Occupational Therapy is defined by the American Occupational Therapy Association executive board (1976) as:

"The therapeutic use of work, self-care, and play activities to increase development and prevent disability. It may include adaptation of task or environment to achieve maximum independence and to enhance the quality of life."

Occupational Therapy helps individuals achieve independence in daily life routines. Total Rehab at Home occupational therapists work with geriatric patients to determine what areas of life are suffering. The therapists develop a program that will allow the patient to perform these activities in a more functional, successful and independent manner. Repetitive exercises are a fundamental component of an occupational therapy treatment program.

Total Rehab at Home's occupational therapists can help with the following:

• Cognitive skills for activities of daily living
  
• Functional mobility skills
  
• Household tasks: cooking, laundry, accessibility, lighting, safety, and equipment needs
  
• Neuromuscular components of function: activity tolerance, strength, flexibility, coordination and sensation
  
• Upper extremity range of motion / splinting

What is occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy is treatment to help people live as independently as possible. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages who, because of illness, injury, developmental delays, or psychological problems, need assistance in learning skills to help them lead independent, productive, and satisfying lives. Occupational therapists use work, self-care, and recreational activities to increase independent function.

Occupational therapy can include:

• Assistance and training in performing daily activities. Depending on your needs, these could be: personal care activities, e.g., dressing and eating.
• Home skills, e.g., housekeeping, gardening, and cooking.
• Personal management skills, e.g., balancing a checkbook and keeping a schedule.
• Skills important in driving a car or other motor vehicle. Occupational therapy may be involved in the vision, thinking, and judgment skills needed for driving, as well as in finding out whether special adaptations such as hand brakes are needed.
• Physical exercises, to increase good posture and joint motion as well as overall strength and flexibility.
• Instruction in protecting your joints and conserving your energy.
• Evaluation of your daily living needs and assessment of your home and work environments, with recommendations for changes in those environments that will help you continue your activities.
• Assessment and training in the use of assistive devices, e.g., special key-holders for people who have stiff hands, computer-aided adaptive equipment, and wheelchairs.
• Fitting splints or braces.
• Guidance for family members and caregivers.

Examples of the many different conditions and situations in which occupational therapy can help include:

• Mental and physical impairments a person has had since birth.
• Recovery and return to work after a work-related injury.
• Sudden serious health conditions such as a stroke, heart attack, brain injury, or amputation.
• Chronic (ongoing) conditions, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or COPD.
• Learning disabilities or developmental disabilities.
• Mental health or behavioral issues such as Alzheimer's disease, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, and eating disorders.