Occupational therapists provide practical support to help people overcome barriers caused by illness, trauma, disability, aging, or accidents that are preventing them from having an independent life. As an occupational therapist, you'll empower people to carry out everyday tasks or occupations with more confidence and independence to improve their health, quality of life, and well-being. Tasks often relate to self-care, work, or leisure.
You'll support a range of people, including:
babies, children, and young people
people with physical disabilities
people with learning disabilities
people with physical or mental health illnesses or other long-term conditions
older people
You'll create individual treatment programs and suggest changes to the person's environment, whether that be at home, work, or school, and may introduce the use of equipment that will help with some activities. You'll review the treatments periodically, evaluate progress, and make changes as needed. As you'll be working with a range of people who will all have different requirements, you'll need to understand each client's lifestyle so that you can create the best treatment plan for them.
Responsibilities as an Occupational Therapist:
Take a 'whole person' approach to each patient's physical and mental well-being by considering all their needs - physical, social, psychological, and environmental
Assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment plans in hospital and community settings
Establish realistic goals with the patient with meaningful outcomes
Liaise with other professionals, such as doctors, physiotherapists, social workers, equipment suppliers and architects, as well as patients' families, teachers, carers and employers
Keep up-to-date written and electronic records
Write reports and care plans and attend multidisciplinary case meetings to plan and review ongoing treatment
Refer patients to other specialists when needed
Organise support and rehabilitation groups for carers and clients
Contribute to the analysis, planning, audit, development, and evaluation of clinical services
Train students and supervise the work of occupational therapy assistants
Manage a caseload, prioritize patient needs, and complete administrative tasks such as patient and budgetary records
Your client caseload - whether you're working with the elderly, children, people with mental ill health, or living with a disability - will dictate your specific activities. You may need to:
Develop a rehabilitation program to help rebuild lost skills and restore confidence
Make sure that people are safe to leave the hospital after an injury or illness
Advise on home and workplace environmental alterations, such as adjustments for wheelchair access
Teach anxiety management techniques
Help people return to work and advise on specialist equipment to help with daily activities
Coach people with learning difficulties or poor social skills, e.g. in handling money and social interaction with people on how to control their own behavior
You'll need to have:
Well-developed oral and verbal communication skills in order to develop a therapeutic relationship with your patients
Interpersonal skills to connect with others and develop rapport with your patients
Compassion and empathy
The ability to explain, encourage, and build confidence
Observation skills
The ability to think outside the box and work under pressure
Decision-making skills and the ability to organize and plan your workload
A flexible approach to work
Assessment and report writing skills
Creative problem-solving skills
Teamworking skills, as you'll often liaise with other professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, and parole officers
Enthusiasm, sensitivity, and patience to deal with a range of needs
Computer literacy
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You'll support a range of people, including:
babies, children, and young people
people with physical disabilities
people with learning disabilities
people with physical or mental health illnesses or other long-term conditions
older people
You'll create individual treatment programs and suggest changes to the person's environment, whether that be at home, work, or school, and may introduce the use of equipment that will help with some activities. You'll review the treatments periodically, evaluate progress, and make changes as needed. As you'll be working with a range of people who will all have different requirements, you'll need to understand each client's lifestyle so that you can create the best treatment plan for them.
Responsibilities as an Occupational Therapist:
Take a 'whole person' approach to each patient's physical and mental well-being by considering all their needs - physical, social, psychological, and environmental
Assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment plans in hospital and community settings
Establish realistic goals with the patient with meaningful outcomes
Liaise with other professionals, such as doctors, physiotherapists, social workers, equipment suppliers and architects, as well as patients' families, teachers, carers and employers
Keep up-to-date written and electronic records
Write reports and care plans and attend multidisciplinary case meetings to plan and review ongoing treatment
Refer patients to other specialists when needed
Organise support and rehabilitation groups for carers and clients
Contribute to the analysis, planning, audit, development, and evaluation of clinical services
Train students and supervise the work of occupational therapy assistants
Manage a caseload, prioritize patient needs, and complete administrative tasks such as patient and budgetary records
Your client caseload - whether you're working with the elderly, children, people with mental ill health, or living with a disability - will dictate your specific activities. You may need to:
Develop a rehabilitation program to help rebuild lost skills and restore confidence
Make sure that people are safe to leave the hospital after an injury or illness
Advise on home and workplace environmental alterations, such as adjustments for wheelchair access
Teach anxiety management techniques
Help people return to work and advise on specialist equipment to help with daily activities
Coach people with learning difficulties or poor social skills, e.g. in handling money and social interaction with people on how to control their own behavior
You'll need to have:
Well-developed oral and verbal communication skills in order to develop a therapeutic relationship with your patients
Interpersonal skills to connect with others and develop rapport with your patients
Compassion and empathy
The ability to explain, encourage, and build confidence
Observation skills
The ability to think outside the box and work under pressure
Decision-making skills and the ability to organize and plan your workload
A flexible approach to work
Assessment and report writing skills
Creative problem-solving skills
Teamworking skills, as you'll often liaise with other professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, and parole officers
Enthusiasm, sensitivity, and patience to deal with a range of needs
Computer literacy
#J-18808-Ljbffr
