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Occupational Therapy

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Occupational therapists enable people who encounter challenges in choosing, organising, and performing activities/tasks/roles of everyday living to do these “better” or differently. They also facilitate the process of people finding satisfaction in performing daily tasks. Occupational Therapists are therefore agents of change and perform therapy by engaging their clients in work, leisure, self-care or play activities or a combination of these.

The principles upon which occupational therapy is build are impairment reduction, adaption, accommodation, skills acquisition, social reconstruction and occupational justice.  The main aim is therefore, participation in life and life satisfaction.    Occupational therapists can address performance related problems that are caused by health conditions such as: Orthopaedic, Cardiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Cosmetic Surgery (burns), HIV, Oncology, Geriatric condition, drug/alcohol abuse, Mother and child health & Community development.

Why refer to Occupational Therapy?

INDIVIDUALISED TREATMENT PROGRAMS

• Maintaining/improvement of functions of body structure – e.g. splints,  pressure garments, positioning and seating,
• Maintaining/improving of mental functions like orientation, attention and memory,
• Maintaining/improving perceptual functions and applying sensory modulation therapy,
• Gross and fine motor development,
• Correct movement and positioning patterns,

Adaption: TEACH NEW WAYS OF APPROACHING TASKS AND TRAIN CLIENT IN THE USE OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES

• Teach techniques to compensate for cognitive losses
• Training non-dominant hand to take over functions of impaired dominant hand
• Choose and adapt wheelchair and wheelchair accessories
• Design/build/adapt assistive devices for use in dressing, kitchen activities, recreation
• Design/build/teach visual cues to improve higher cognitive skills
• Design/build/teach visual cues to improve motor skills