ReddyCarePT_Occupational Therapy Month

HEALTH & WELLNESS Our Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body

APRIL IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MONTH!

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HEALTH & WELLNESS Our News l e t t e r Abou t Your Hea l t h and Ca r i ng f o r Your Body

APRIL IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MONTH!

“Theraputty” is used in occupational therapy in hand treatment. Putty exercises are a great way to strengthen hand function and improve mobility.

Some conditions/situations where an OT’s guidance and care can be beneficial are as follows:

April is Occupational Therapy Month, and in honor of this, Reddy Care Physical, Occupational, & Aquatic Therapy would like to take the opportunity to educate our patients and readers on the benefits of occupational therapy methods! Do you have an injury or medical condition that is causing you pain, limiting your daily activities, and preventing you from enjoying the things you love? Occupational therapy is a great way to learn how to get over these hurdles, improve performance and lower your pain symptoms. Would you like to learn more about how occupational therapy can help you eliminate your pain and improve performance? If so, Contact Reddy Care Physical, Occupational, & Aquatic Therapy today to request an appointment. WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY? TheAmericanOccupational TherapyAssociationdefinesoccupational therapyas “the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things theywant and need todo through the therapeutic useof daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability.” Occupational therapy can benefit people of all ages, from helping children with disabilities participate in school and social settings, to helping seniors improve their physical and cognitive health. One example of the ways an OT can improve a patient’s daily function is through adaptations. For instance, if a patient is having trouble feeding themselves, an occupational therapist can help them to make adjustments and adaptations to utensils to make mealtimes easier. This unique approach makes occupational therapy a vital part of health care. Occupational therapy is also a very common form of treatment for patients recovering from surgery, healing from injuries, or living with chronic conditions that affect their quality of life.

• Tendinitis • Multiple sclerosis

• Parkinson’s disease • Orthopedic conditions • Recovery after burns/scar management

• Neurological conditions • Carpal tunnel syndrome • Down’s syndrome • Cerebral palsy • Autism • Asperger’s syndrome

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY If you’re struggling to do everyday activities such as shower, get out of bed, open doors, or get dressed, occupational therapy could be a great option for you. Reddy Care Physical, Occupational, & Aquatic Therapy’s occupational therapy plans include: • An individual assessment to determine conditions, pain points, abilities, and patient goals. • Customized activities focused on the improvement of daily tasks and activities. • A final evaluation to determine if goals were met and to make changes to the plan/create another treatment plan of action if necessary Occupational therapy and physical therapy go hand in hand and can be integrated into care plans to help patients of all kinds to regain mobility, flexibility, improve range of motion, and regain a sense of independence in their daily routine.

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THE HISTORY OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Written by Constance Volpe MS, OTR/L In the late 1800’s occupational therapy (OT) was mainly in psychiatric hospitals. OTs worked with the mentally unstable population using purposeful and meaningful activities, giving these patients a sense of purpose. These activities mainly used arts and crafts. By using an activity, it allowed these patients a feeling of accomplishment and purpose.

This isolation can lead to feelings of depression, loneliness, and sadness. This is where the role of an occupational therapist comes into play, working with the elderly in the home environment. As occupational therapists, we teach them exercises, rehabilitation techniques, introduce adaptive devices and teach coping skills that make completing daily tasks, such as dressing, eating, and bathing, much easier. OT can improve their fine and basic motor skills, strength, balance, dexterity, and their range of motion. Even minimal improvements in one or more of these areas can make all the difference when it comes to completing an everyday task. One area OTs target is fall prevention. Many elderly patients have decreased balance and have a history of multiple falls. By teaching balance and muscle building exercises, OT can help patients stay strong and safe in their homes. Another way OTs help keep patients safe in their home is by recommending home modifications and adaptive equipment. These modifications will make the patient’s home safer and promote independent living. Modifications may include ramps for entrances, grab bars in the tub/shower area and around toilet area, removing or taping down area rugs, stair lift to second floor, and installing rails on steps into home or stairs to 2nd floor. Some elderly people have vision loss or eye diseases such as macular degeneration. Having vision loss can prevent elderly patients from moving around their own home safely. Feelings of frustration, anxiety and depression can set in preventing them from being productive. OTs can help in this area too. Recommendations OTs can make are removing clutter in the home, adding more lighting, using magnifiers to reach labels on medicine, and putting color tape on steps to reduce risk of falls. The most important role an OT can play working with the elderly in their home is being a trusted friend and confidant to them. By talking about their concerns, worries, and frustrations with their OT, it will make them feel they are not alone. OT can collaborate with the patient to help them overcome their concerns about not functioning the way they used to. Since the inception of this profession, the one common denominator in all the areas that OTs work in is treating the person not the disability or diagnosis. Focusing on a holistic treatment plan, making the patient feel like a person and blending all aspects of their life are the goals. By working in the home, OTs can assist the elderly, adjust to life’s hardships, overcome their anxiety, and promote health, safety, and independence.

It wasn’t until World War I, in the early 1900’s, that occupational therapy moved toward physical disabilities with the young men returning home from war wounded. It was then that OT focused away from arts and crafts and moved toward ADLs (activity of daily living) and IADLs (industrial activities of daily living). ADLs such as selfcare, transfers and mobility, and IADLs such as bathing, meal prep, laundry, driving, and work were the goals that OT targeted while the wounded were in the hospitals. The logic of focusing on ADLs and IADLs created a holistic approach to rehabilitating these patients back to family and society for a normal and productive life. Throughout the 1900’s, occupational therapy went through many changes and added several areas, such as vocational training, industrial therapy programs, and clinical workshops. These programs were set up to help the newly discharged patients adjust into society. OT also branched out into many diagnoses, such as orthopedic, neurological, cardiac, TBI along with psychiatric diagnoses. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that occupational therapy branched out in the community and home care. In this area OT moved away from the medical model and moved toward focusing on promoting health, safety, independence and preventing illness. A major area the community can benefit from OT is in a person’s home. As the population ages and medical insurance changes, one way a person can stay at home is to remain as strong and healthy as possible. This is where occupational therapists can assist the aging population. Each treatment plan is individualized based on the person’s needs, deficits and abilities. Helping patients overcome their everyday struggles is our main goal. Many elderly people find themselves having difficulty completing their everyday activities such as getting dressed, washed, and bathed. Some have balance deficits preventing them from moving around in their home safely. Because of these difficulties, these people often find themselves staying home more, not being able to see their families, or go on outings other than doctor’s appointments.

VITAMIN BURST SMOOTHIE

• 1/2 cup pineapple • 1 tsp freshly minced ginger (or more to taste) • Optional: 1-2 tsp raw honey; a handful of fresh baby spinach; 1-2 tbsp almond butter

• 1 cup fresh orange juice • 1/2 cup milk (coconut, almond, or substitute plain or vanilla yogurt) • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries • 1/2 cup mango

Add the ingredients to a blender and blend on high speed until completely smooth, scraping down the blender as needed. Add a drizzle of honey or extra ginger to taste, pour into glasses, and enjoy. Bursting with healing Vitamin C, this hydrating smoothie will increase the infection-fighting ability of your immune system.

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The 9-Hole Peg Test helps to develop coordination and grip strength!

WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND OUR CLINIC

Located in the Baybridge Commons Shopping Center REDDY-CARE GRAND OPENING! 3.14.22

Bayside is open! Thank you to NYC Council Member Vickie Paladins of District 19 for coming out to help us cut the ribbon during our Grand Opening ceremony! Aquatic therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy will be available at this location!

(718) 224-8480 SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT