Many of us perform daily activities like eating, grooming, bathing, and housework without giving it a second thought. But for individuals who have suffered a serious illness or injury, those types of activities may seem difficult – and at times – even unattainable to perform.
That’s when an occupational therapist can help. Occupational therapists are specially trained to help individuals who are in these types of situations to relearn how to perform every day activities. Occupational therapists prepare patients to complete tasks to be performed at home in a variety of ways, including:
- Modifying a task
- Teaching new ways of doing a task
- Adapting environments to make tasks easier and safer for the patient
- Educating patients, family members and caregivers
By providing assistance and modifications as needed, occupational therapists can help patients become as independent as possible.