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Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that works on improving a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks. Typically patients who seek occupational therapy suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling condition. The goal of occupational therapy is to help patients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives.
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Occupational therapists help patients to perform all types of daily activities like work and school activities, using equipment like computers or cars, or caring for daily needs such as dressing, cooking, and eating. For patients with permanent disabilities, occupational therapists teach patients how to use adaptive equipment, including wheelchairs, hearing aids, eating aids, and dressing aids.
Occupational therapy can be used for all ages. Typical reasons why people seek occupational therapy are: spinal cord injuries, stroke, head injuries, work injuries, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, children with learning disabilities, and infants or toddlers who have, or are at risk of having, developmental delays.
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How do I Select an Occupational Therapist? |
When selecting an occupational therapist, you should consider the following
factors:
- Location: Make sure the therapist is within a reasonable travel distance.
- Speciality: Verify the therapist specializes in treating you or your loved one's condition. Also verify the therapist works with clients in the patient's age group.
- Insurance: Verify the center takes your insurance.
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1. Quality –WhereToFindCare.com can help you locate a quality occupational therapist
by providing you with the WTFC Quality Score.
WhereToFindCare.com asks users to rate their experience at occupational therapists
nationwide. The WTFC Quality Score is the percentage of people who rated the occupational therapist on WhereToFindCare.com and said they received quality care. This experience-based satisfaction score cannot be found elsewhere today except by word of mouth.
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2. Recommendations- Word of mouth recommendations are very important. They can tell us whether we can get along with providers on a personal level.
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This is important because occupational therapists need to be experienced, but they
also need to be patient and compassionate, because the road to recover can sometimes
be slow.
You can read other people’s experience by going to the occupational therapist's
page on WhereToFindCare.com and clicking on the Survey Results tab.
There you see how others rated their experience at the occupational therapist,
and any comments made about the provider. Also look for CareStars™. User-nominated CareStars are exceptional caregivers at healthcare centers. CareStars™ comments can give you a sense that the occupational therapist employs caring individuals that will provide the service you need.
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