April is Occupational Therapy (OT) Month
April is Occupational Therapy (OT) month! At Lotus Speech & Wellness, we often work closely with occupational therapists (OTs) as part of our holistic speech therapy approach to improving our clients’ communication, cognition, and mind-body wellness. This month we had the opportunity to talk to Ali Chamberlin, OTR/L, CSRS to learn more about OT in neuro rehabilitation. Ali has been practicing as an OT since 2012. She has worked in outpatient and acute rehab but primarily in acute care for 9 years. Her specialties include critical care, pulmonary and neuro rehab. She is a certified stroke rehab specialist and works in Albany, NY. (Fun fact: Ali and Katherine have been good friends since first grade, and both chose careers in neurorehab!)
Learn about Occupational Therapy: An interview with Ali Chamberlin, OTR/L, CSRS
What is Occupational Therapy?
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) describes OT as helping people “participate in their desired occupations with a therapeutic use of everyday activities, based on the client’s personal interests or needs.” We help people achieve what is important or necessary to them. OTs work across the developmental spectrum from early intervention, pediatrics, schools, workplace and geriatrics.
What is an OT’s role in neurorehab? What goals do they help people with?
Neurorehab can be found in a variety of settings to include acute care, rehabilitation centers, home and outpatient. An occupational therapist will complete an evaluation with the individual often including input from their family to determine the person’s goals and an appropriate treatment plan/interventions. OT interventions may include:
- energy conservation techniques
- sensory/neuromuscular re-education
- visual perceptual training
- coordination and balance
- strengthening
- pain management
- education on adaptive equipment or durable medical equipment
These interventions help increase safety and independence in order to help them improve their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), functional mobility, and cognitive/ executive functioning skills with regard to the ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).
What are some examples of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) that OTs help with?
Activities of Daily Living (ADL) include, for example:
- eating
- bathing
- dressing
- grooming
- toileting
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living include, for example:
- driving
- cooking
- medication management
- job duties
- care of others
When should someone with a neurological impairment reach out for support from an OT?
An OT can help if you are having difficulty performing your daily routine, if there are concerns about balance/safety, vision or cognition. If you find yourself needing more rest breaks or increased assistance from others, contact your primary care physician to ask for a prescription for home or outpatient OT.
Why did you decide to become an OT?
In my first career I worked as a photojournalist. I loved to have a window into people’s lives and to learn about their stories but my presence was often brief and unobtrusive. I still wanted to help others but on a more personal level. At the time, my sister was working with a Wounded Warrior Program. After speaking with a number of Veterans about the various therapies they had received, I decided that OT was the best fit for me.
What is your favorite / most rewarding part of being an OT?
When I meet my patients for the first time it is often what most consider the worst time in their life. A catastrophic event or culmination of events has just occurred and they are struggling. As an OT, what I love most about this job is the ability to give my patients hope again. Together we make a plan to help them regain their independence. The greatest joy is when they recognize that strength in themselves again.
Can you share an example of when/how you collaborated with an SLP in neurorehab?
In acute care, I always look for the SLP assessments and their guidance for swallowing/diet modifications. At meal times, I want to know the safest strategies to decrease risk for aspiration while also allowing the patient to maintain independence.
For the patients with aphasia, I look to the SLP recommendations to carryover strategies for improving communication within my own session and assisting the patient to express their needs. Repetition is essential in neurorehab.
In conclusion, what online resources can you recommend to those who want to learn more about OTs?
American Occupational Therapy Association www.aota.org
World Federation of Occupational Therapists https://www.wfot.org/
Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Therapists https://strokecertification.com/therapists/
Thank you Ali!
A big thank you to Ali for sharing her valuable perspective and knowledge about OT.
To learn more about speech therapy and Lotus Speech & Wellness services in Maine, visit this page.