What Is Occupational Therapy and How Can It Help You?
At St. Vincent Health in Leadville, we want our patients to have the support they need to live as independently and confidently as possible.
Getting dressed, preparing a meal, returning to work after an injury or helping a child develop new skills — everyday activities can become challenging when illness, injury or disability gets in the way.
Occupational therapy (OT) helps people regain or adapt the skills they need to live more independently and participate in the activities that matter most.
Who Can Benefit from Occupational Therapy?
OT can help people of all ages, including those who are:
- Recovering from an injury or surgery: Regaining functional skills and adapting activities to support performance in daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, meal preparation, and household management.
- Managing a chronic condition: Learning strategies to conserve energy, managing symptoms, and task/environmental modifications to maximize independence.
- Recovering from a stroke or serious illness: Rebuilding motor and cognitive skills, adapting to physical changes, and establishing new behavioral patterns.
- Living with pain or limited mobility: Addressing positioning, joint protection, activity modification, and adaptive techniques to improve comfort and function.
- Managing cognitive or neurological challenges: Addressing attention, memory, problem-solving, and executive functioning to support safe community and home participation.
- Aging in place: Promoting safety with home evaluations, fall prevention strategies, functional mobility modifications, and targeting balance during daily activities
- Supporting a child's development: Developing gross and fine motor skills, visual-motor integration, coordination, sensory processing, self-regulation, self-care skills, cognitive skills, play skills, and assisting in meeting age-appropriate milestones.
- Experiencing sensory processing or regulation difficulties: Developing strategies to support sensory needs, emotional regulation, attention, participation, and engagement.
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Needing adaptive equipment or environmental modifications: Identifying practical tools, assistive devices, positioning strategies, and home, workplace and school modifications for safety and independence.
What Happens During Occupational Therapy?
Through individualized assessment, your therapist will learn about your daily routines, challenges, and goals, then collaborate with you to develop a personalized plan. With therapeutic activities and exercises, skill development, adaptive strategies, and education, your occupational therapist will help you to have greater function, safety, confidence, and independence in the activities that matter most to you.
How Is OT Different from Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy generally focuses on movement, strength, balance and mobility. Occupational therapy focuses on using those abilities to complete daily activities. Some patients benefit from both.
What’s the Next Step?
Life in Lake County means staying active, caring for family and enjoying the outdoors. When a health challenge makes everyday activities more difficult, you don't have to navigate it alone.
Talk with your healthcare provider about whether occupational therapy may help you or a family member.
St. Vincent Health is here to support your health, independence and quality of life. Learn more at stvincent.health/rehab-therapy or contact the rehab department at 719-496-7180 to ask about available services.