Occupational therapy is here for everyone. It helps those with limited or reduced mobility and strength to develop, maintain or recover the skills they need to carry our necessary daily tasks with ease. Anyone at any age can benefit from an Occupational Therapists (OTs) help.
It is elderly in particular that we wish to focus in on today because as we age, our bodies can become slower, we have reduced range of motion and our memories aren’t quite how they used to be. All this and more can make completing everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning a near herculean task.
With OT Week kicking off on Monday, we wanted to help raise awareness and share just how beneficial occupational therapy can be for the elderly.
Benefits of Occupational Therapy for the Elderly
Supports & Encourages Independence
We all enjoy our independence but many of us wouldn’t give it a second thought most days. Do you think about how easy it is for you to dress, cook and clean? We don’t really notice these things until we struggle or cannot do them. Sadly, one of the biggest challenges faced by the elderly in our lives is a loss of independence. Whether it’s not being able to get up and down the stairs to walking to the store, their level of independence wains dramatically.
Occupational therapy can help them with this. An OT will work with them to understand where they struggle and how they and potentially daily living products can help make life easier. This helps to keep/encourage them to stay independent for longer which will in turn boost their overall confidence.
Improve Range of Motion
We may laugh about the fact that you know you are getting older when you have a good and bad knee and no longer a left and right one. The truth is, as we age our overall range of motion decreases. This could be down to stiffness, reduced strength and little flexibility. This can make life in or outside the home very difficult.
With Occupational therapy, the therapist will work with you to create a personalised treatment plan that will include physical therapy exercises to help you reduce stiffness, increase flexibility and improve your overall mobility and strength over time.
Improves Quality of Life
With with an Occupational Therapist will help improve your overall quality of life. With regular exercises to improve range of motion to working with daily living aids to help you get about and navigate the home, you are bound to feel happier and more confident in your abilities.
Better physical health comes better mental health too.
Recommend Modifications for the Home
An OT will come to your home and assess how you manage in every room. They do this to get a better sense of where you are and how they can best help you. Once the assessment is complete they will be able to better recommend modifications to your home to make life easier. This could include modifications to the bathroom, stairs, bedroom, living room and kitchen.
Potential modifications could include:
- Grab rails in the bathroom, front and back door as well as the stairs
- Adding of non-slip flooring in tiled rooms (kitchen & bathrooms)
- Stair lift
- Daily living products to help you dress, cook and clean
If you would like to learn more about Occupational Therapy and where the best place to visit is for you, please feel free to visit Occupational Therapy Australia here.
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