Both occupational therapy and physical therapy are rehabilitative care practices performed by medical professionals. Both help people with certain conditions and diseases, but that’s where there’s a distinct separation.
Physical therapy focuses on helping regain mobility and the range of motion. Occupational therapy focuses on helping a person learn to complete daily tasks in spite of the condition. The disability or motor function may never return, but it doesn’t have to take away your independence.
Your mom had a stroke. She’s going to need a lot more care than she’s used to. As you support her with things like housekeeping and meals, what can an occupational therapist do?
What Can Occupational Therapists Do?
With occupational therapy, you learn new ways to do things. If your mom’s vision is going away due to the damage to the brain after the stroke, it doesn’t have to stop her from doing things for herself. Instead of giving up, she can learn how to use voice-controlled technology to help her.
Your mom can’t see the digital display on her oven, but a smart oven listens to her voice commands and sets the correct temperature for her. She can’t see her computer, but it can describe the images for her. An occupational therapist helps her learn how to use this technology.
When vision impairment makes it hard to move around her home, an occupational therapist can teach her to count steps and use a walking stick to remain mobile. She can also learn how to use voice commands to dial a phone or access help with a medic alert system.
After her stroke, your mom finds it hard to grasp items. An occupational therapist can teach her how to use devices to button her shirt and pants, pull on shoes, and take care of grooming and hygiene. She learns ways to do things that promote independence and that will keep her spirits up.
How Do You Get Her Started?
What do you do to get your mom set up with an occupational therapist? Talk to your mom’s doctors about her care needs going forward. She may need her family to help out, but she might need to work with a variety of specialists too. Speech therapists help her with her speech and language skills. Physical therapists help with mobility. But, she also needs help with activities of daily living.
There are limitations to her mobility and hand strength, even after working with a physical therapist. She doesn’t have to feel helpless. Have her work with an occupational therapist to learn how to live as independently as she can and do things for herself. Occupational therapy is going to help her learn how to manage personal care tasks and not become dependent on others.
If you or someone you know needs occupational therapy in Blaine, MN, contact Adara Home Health. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve. Call us at (888) 660-5772 for more information.