Occupational Therapist Job Description – Everything You Need To Know
Occupational therapist job description requires the therapist to wear multiple hats- Healer, taskmaster, mentor, confidant, etc.
The main job of an occupational therapist is to help people regain their motor skills after a traumatic accident, injury, illness or old age. The therapist has to assist people that have lost the ability to use their limbs effortlessly and who were once independent and self-reliant. As is obvious from this description, the task goes far beyond regaining lost physical abilities.
The inability to do basic things that one would normally not even think about leaves a deep impact on a person’s psyche. An occupational therapist job description therefore also includes handling the psychological pressures that their patients are under and responding to them appropriately.
This is not to imply that the occupational therapist only attends to the above-mentioned situations. Even those with congenital problems require their services. The therapist must therefore possess the skills and knowledge to assess the physical and mental problems of a patient and help him/her deal with the problem in a manner that inspires optimism and hope. The activities prescribed or devised by an occupational therapist should invoke confidence in the patient.
It would therefore be difficult to confine the occupational therapist job description within set boundaries. After all, the therapist is often the only person that the patient would trust and believe in. The therapist therefore has to often walk the line between professional assistance and personal involvement.
The occupational therapist job description would not be complete without a reference to their role of boosting their patient’s self-esteem. While, on one hand, they have to ensure that the patient sticks to a fixed regimen of physical activity, they also need to constantly motivate, counsel and encourage the patient.
This means not only paying attention to the smallest achievement but also appreciating it and making the patient acknowledge his/her progress. A person undergoing physical therapy often gets de-motivated because the results are gradual; this kind of encouragement and motivation is therefore essential to maintain the momentum of the therapy. What’s more, people may not admit it, but during times of the acute physical crisis that demands occupational therapy, even the smallest words of praise can do wonders for their low confidence levels.
The role typically begins with assessing the current situation of the patient and setting some short-term goals. The immediate objective is to chalk out activities and discuss with the patient what needs to be done to bring about an improvement in there motor skills, cognitive abilities (if required), and so on. It is patient specific and need based.
There is no common line of action for all patients though some of the exercises may be pretty similar. A lot of emphasis is given to the restoration of daily tasks, personal hygiene and grooming abilities since those are directly related to the self-esteem of the patient.
Occupational therapist job description has many elements as well as shades to it. It truly is a very challenging profession and can be extremely fulfilling for those who are passionate about serving people.