{"id":537784,"date":"2010-04-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-19T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bloomingtonhospital.org\/WhatsNew.asp?PageID=WTN001021"},"modified":"2010-04-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-04-19T04:00:00","slug":"occupational-therapy-helps-individuals-live-life-to-its-fullest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/537784","title":{"rendered":"Occupational therapy helps individuals live life to its fullest"},"content":{"rendered":"

April is Occupational Therapy Month<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bloomington, Ind. (April 19, 2010) \u2013 Occupational therapy enables people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, prevent\u2014or live better with\u2014injury, illness, or disability. It is a practice deeply rooted in science and is evidence-based, meaning that the plan designed for each individual is supported by data, experience, and \u201cbest practices\u201d that have been developed and proven over time.<\/p>\n

\u201cOccupational therapy is about helping people live the best life they can, as independently as they can,\u201d says Rachael Norton, MS, OTR, occupational therapist with Bloomington Hospital\u2019s Rebound.\u00a0 \u201cAs occupational therapists, we work with clients ranging from toddlers who need help developing their fine motor skills to seniors who are looking for assistance in adjusting activities of daily living to fit their abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants focus on \u201cdoing\u201d whatever occupations or activities are meaningful to the individual. It is occupational therapy\u2019s purpose to get beyond problems to the solutions that assure living life to its fullest. These solutions may be adaptations for how to do a task, changes to the surroundings, or helping individuals to alter their own behaviors.<\/p>\n

In south central Indiana, Bloomington Hospital offers occupational therapy in a variety of settings.\u00a0 Dedicated occupational therapists work with inpatients during their hospital stay as needed in the hospital\u2019s Orthopedics & Neuroscience Unit as well as the Acute Rehabilitation Unit.\u00a0 Bloomington Hospital\u2019s Rebound provides occupational therapy on an outpatient basis in five locations, while Bloomington Hospital\u2019s Home Health & Hospice provides occupational therapy services in the client\u2019s home for those unable to travel.\u00a0 And, for the youngest patients, the hospital\u2019s Children\u2019s Therapy Clinic offers occupational therapy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see children from infants through adolescents.\u00a0 During occupational therapy, we help them develop functional skills, which could include activities of daily living like dressing and feeding, developing motor skills or even working on appropriate social interactions,\u201d says Pam Felts, OT, manager of the Children\u2019s Therapy Clinic.<\/p>\n

When working with an occupational therapy practitioner, strategies and modifications are customized for each individual to resolve problems, improve function, and support everyday living activities. The goal is to maximize potential. Through these therapeutic approaches, occupational therapy helps individuals design their lives, develop needed skills, adjust their environments (e,g., home, school, or work) and build health-promoting habits and routines that will allow them to thrive.<\/p>\n

By taking the full picture into account\u2014a person\u2019s psychological, physical, emotional, and social makeup as well as their environment\u2014occupational therapy assists clients to do the following:<\/p>\n