Rapid Recovery Book

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapists assist individuals to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and working skills with the goals of helping people live independent, productive and satisfying lives.

OT services typically include:

 Customized treatment programs to improve one’s ability to perform daily activities  Recommendations on home modifications  Recommendations and training for adaptive equipment  Family and caregiver education How will Occupational Therapy benefit me? Following a joint replacement, individuals may have difficulty with performing daily activities safely and independently—secondary to pain or surgical precautions. An occupational therapist will edu- cate and train the individual and/or family in the use of adaptive equipment and make recommenda- tions as needed in order to increase independence with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Modifications may be made to the following ADLs:

 Dressing  Bathing  Hygiene & Grooming

 Toileting  Eating  Walking & Transferring

 Sleeping  Homemaking  Sexual Activity

Possible Adaptive Equipment (AE) recommendations:

 Raised toilet seat  Shower chair or tub bench

 Sock - aid  Reacher  Shoe horn

 Bath sponge  Dressing stick  Elastic shoe strings

Where can I purchase these items and does insurance cover the cost?

Durable Medical Equipment (DME) businesses carry adaptive equipment. A list is provided in this manual. Each person’s insurance is unique, but often times these are an out of pocket expense.