2019-2020 Health Care Guide

According to a 2006 article published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, older adults who received physical therapy ser- vices at home reported improvements in their quality of life, a decrease in their per- ception of functional difficul- ties, and an increase in their confidence level. Even more astounding is that these reported gains remained pre- sent up to six months after therapy services concluded. While physical therapy works on regaining overall function, occupational therapy (OT)

focuses on the finer details of daily functioning. Occupational therapists are the troubleshooters of the rehabilitation process; they make the impossible possible through the use of adaptive equipment, home modifica- tions and functional strength- ening. When occupational therapists complete evalua- tions, they ask the questions, “What do you want to be able to do? What is important to you?” The occupational therapist starts to identify where the client wants to go and starts to make a plan on how to get there, in the com-

fort of the home. Together, client and OT work on opening medication bottles and making a checklist for setting up the weekly pill organizer; fastening buttons and zippers; or teach- ing a client how to use tools such as a dressing stick or a reacher. Being able to complete one’s own self-care tasks is key for successfully aging in place. Dr. Tim Fox, PT, DPT, GCS, is the founder and CEO of Fox Rehab, a primarily clinician owned and operated professional private practice of physical, occu- pational and speech therapists.

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2019