Occupational Therapy for Adults
Occupational therapy for adults typically focuses on maintaining current health, restoring function, compensating for disabilities, promoting independence and ensuring safety.
Importance of Participation
Aging adults experience physical and cognitive changes that may lead to social-emotional challenges. In order to maintain your independence and continue to build a meaningful life you will be encouraged to stay mobile, continue to learn, and participate in everyday activities that give you purpose.
Adulthood Occupations
- Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
- Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)
- Work
- Education
- Social Participation
- Play and Leisure
- Rest and Sleep
- Health Management
Common Diagnoses in Adults
- Acute injuries (ex. fall)
- Acute illness (ex. COVID-19, PNA)
- Post-operative rehabilitation
- Shoulder replacement or repair
- Hip replacement or repair
- Knee replacement or repair
- Open heart surgery (sternal precautions)
- Spine surgery (spinal precautions)
- Dementia or memory loss
- Physical deformity or amputation
- Traumatic brain injury or CVA
- Cardiovascular event or condition (ex. heart failure, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease)
- Chronic or long-term condition (ex. multiple sclerosis, cancer, COPD, end-stage renal disease)
- Neurodegenerative diseases (ex. ALS, Parkinson's disease)
- Vision loss (ex. age-related macular degeneration, blindness)
DO you know an older adult that needs assistance with...
Basic Self-Cares
- Getting in/out of shower or tub
- Setting up the bathroom safely to prevent falls
- Getting dressed, donning compression socks, or buttoning shirt
- Managing incontinence on a daily or nightly basis
- Getting off toilet or wiping
- Self-feeding with utensils
- Remembering hygiene and grooming tasks
- Durable medical equipment (DME) recommendations for home setup
- Bed mobility
- Assistive technology to compensate for long-term physical impairment
- Family training or new caregiver education session
- Walker or other assistive device compliance
Independent Living Skills
- Remembering to pick up and take medications regularly
- Pay bills on time and avoids scammers
- Navigating the kitchen, with safe setup
- Cooking without safety concerns
- Housekeeping without increased risk for falls
- Doing laundry
- Driving, using public transportation, or rideshare apps
- Shopping or obtaining groceries
- Pet care without endangering self
Symptom Management for Chronic or Worsening Condition
- Task modification for chronic fatigue or poor endurance (ex. fibromyalgia, COPD, etc.)
- Pain or edema management
- Sensory loss (ex. blindness, hearing loss)
- Neurological symptoms (ex. numbness and tingling, diabetic neuropathy)
- Self-monitoring vitals (ex. O2, HR, BP/orthostatic hypotension)
- Generalized weakness (ex. cancer treatment, dialysis dependent)
- Professional recommendation for increased care or assistance
Upper Extremity Use
- Fine motor skills or manipulating small objects (ex. coins, buttons)
- Limited shoulder mobility (ex. rotator cuff tear, fall-related injury)
- Shaky or weak hands (ex. arthritis, unable to open new containers)
- Neurological changes (ex. CVA, spinal cord injury, etc.)
- Repetitive use injuries (ex. carpal tunnel syndrome, de Quervain's tenosynovitis)
*Please note: Orthopedic conditions may be referred to an outpatient clinic if modalities or a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) are recommended by the referring physician*
Memory or Cognitive Impairment
- Dementia or memory loss
- Cognitive changes or visual disturbances (ex. CVA, TBI)
- Poor safety awareness (ex. driving, elder abuse, walker non-compliance)
- Executive functioning and problem-solving (ex. call for help)
Balance and Functional Mobility
- History of falls or knee buckling
- Recovering from orthopedic surgery with weight bearing or mobility limitations (ex. non-weight bearing, partial weight bearing)
- Amputation or center of gravity changes
- Neurological changes (ex. Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, CVA)
- Spinal cord injury (ex. paraplegia, spinal stenosis, etc.)