According to the definition of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA): “Occupational therapy (TO) is the therapeutic use of care, work and play activities to increase functional independence, enhance development and prevent disability. It may include adaptation of tasks or the environment to achieve maximum independence and to increase the ability to perform tasks. quality of life.”
It is usually defined as a social health profession. The function of occupational therapy is assessing disabilities and the physical problems. Just like the psychicssensory and social aspects of the individual. After an evaluation of these aspects, it will be possible establish a treatment suitable for training you.
That is, so that it reaches the greatest degree of independence in their daily lives. Thus contributing to the recovery of their condition or facilitating a adaptation easier to cope with their disability. For this reason, occupational therapy is closely related to the areas of rehabilitation and the Rehabilitation.
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The origins of occupational therapy date back to the year 1917. At this time, in the military hospitals Canadians, activities were introduced for the men who were confined there. Among the occupations were basketry, board games and weaving, among others.
The purpose of men carrying out such activities was stimulate your mind. They thus ensured that they provided a middle ground between chronic disability and leisure. When this occurred, it became clear that there was a need for specialized personnel to help these people. This is when the first occupational therapy association in Canada was formed.
In Spain it arrived forty years later. The profession was established in 1964 and in 1967 the Spanish Professional Association of Occupational Therapists (CRAVING).
What are the goals of occupational therapy?
The most important objectives pursued by occupational therapy are:
- Prevent and/or reduce disabilities. In addition to the difficulties that arise due to physical disorders, psychics, sensory either social. Which prevent the person from being able to act independently in their environment.
- Restore lost function. This is done by improving the residual capacities. That is, it is adapts the environment or medium to the needs of the individual.
Occupational therapy is present and is necessary everywhere. It is usually put into practice in hospitalsday centers, residenceslabor mutuals, rehabilitation clinicsassociations of those affected, schools or private homesamong others. Occupational therapists are responsible for carrying out occupational therapy.
What does an occupational therapist do?
The occupational therapist works within a interdisciplinary team. Its function is enable either rehabilitate to the person. Thus, it will give him the necessary resources for his integration or reintegration to everyday life.
In addition, the occupational therapist performs a assessment of capabilities physical and mental abilities of the subject. In this way, you can establish objectives to develop in the treatment plan and will successively evaluate the results.
Both the assessment of the degree of independence and the enhancement of skills are carried out through activity. Therapy is the main tool of treatment. It is not only the end, but also the means to achieve the objectives that the therapist has previously established.
In conclusion, the main objective of the professional and therapeutic team is improve the quality of life of the patient.
What are the benefits of occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is a key element in everyday life. It is part of it. It is necessary and characteristic of human existence and survival. Some of its benefits can be:
- Increase autonomyThis is the main reason why occupational therapy is so beneficial. It allows patients who have limitations to work on improving them. No one likes to feel useless or dependent on anything or anyone. For this reason, occupational therapy gives the patient the opportunity to gain greater autonomy and cope with their situation as much as possible.
- Improves strength and endurance for functional tasksOccupational therapy is distinguished from other therapies by its ability to analyze the movement or cognitive requirements of daily tasks, as well as to creatively implement activities, and to provide exercises specifically designed to develop the specific skills needed to achieve or improve independence.
- Works with functional cognition. The occupational team approaches cognition based on functional need. To do this, occupational therapy focuses on practicing activities that require organization, attention and reasoning. This will improve the patient's cognition, which is needed to complete daily tasks.
- Home adaptationOccupational therapy offers the opportunity to adapt patients to the environment in which they live. That is, therapeutic teams suggest that subjects modify their home to make it more accessible to their needs.
- Offer supportOccupational therapists are not just about setting goals and meeting them. Their role goes beyond the physical. Therapists also listen to patients. They give them the opportunity to talk about and express their problems so that the activity and the therapeutic process is not only physical. There must also be moral support.
Most treatments require the therapist's activity and creativity. It is beneficial for patients if the therapist is integrated into the place where he or she practices. That is, occupational therapy is vocational since you are dealing with people both physically and mentallyAnd, at the moment you teach them the activity, those people depend largely on the work and interest that you put into them.