Occupational Therapists

Occupational Therapists typically perform the following tasks: • Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients. • Complete and maintain necessary records. • Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems. • Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps. • Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities. • Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress. • Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy. • Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions. • Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities. • Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces, and computer-aided adaptive equipment. • Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities. • Develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability. • Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff. • Help clients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills, using computer programs. • Conduct research in occupational therapy. • Advise on health risks in the workplace or on health-related transition to retirement. • Provide patients with assistance in locating or holding jobs. • Recommend adaptive equipment to individuals to increase independence in daily living activities.