Definition & Purpose
Occupational therapy assistants work under the direction of occupational therapists to provide rehabilitative services to persons with mental, physical, emotional, or developmental impairments. The ultimate goal is to improve clients' quality of life and ability to perform daily activities. For example, occupational therapy assistants help injured workers re-enter the labor force by teaching them how to compensate for lost motor skills or help individuals with learning disabilities increase their independence.
Occupational therapy assistants help clients with rehabilitative activities and exercises outlined in a treatment plan developed in collaboration with an occupational therapist. Activities range from teaching the proper method of moving from a bed into a wheelchair to the best way to stretch and limber the muscles of the hand. Aides monitor an individual's activities to make sure that they are performed correctly and to provide encouragement. They also record their client's progress for the occupational therapist and document the billing of the client's health insurance provider.
Occupational therapy assistants typically prepare materials and assemble equipment used during treatment. They are responsible for a range of clerical tasks, including scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, restocking or ordering depleted supplies, and filling out insurance forms or other paperwork. Aides are not licensed, so the law does not allow them to perform as wide a range of tasks as occupational therapy assistants.
The hours and days that occupational therapy assistants work vary with the facility and with whether they are full- or part-time employees. Many outpatient therapy offices and clinics have evening and weekend hours, to help coincide with patients' personal schedules.
Occupational therapy assistants need to have a moderate degree of strength, due to the physical exertion required in assisting patients with their treatment. For example, aides may need to lift patients. Constant kneeling, stooping, and standing for long periods also are part of the job.
Occupational therapy assistants held about 27,000 jobs in 2002. Over 30 percent of jobs for aides were in hospitals, 23 percent were in offices of other health practitioners (which includes offices of occupational therapists), and 18 percent were in nursing care facilities. The rest were primarily in community care facilities for the elderly, home healthcare services, individual and family services, and State government agencies.
Course OutlineIntroduction to Occupational Therapy:
- Brief history of Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Settings in which OT is practiced: hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, etc.
- Categories of OT personnel
- Educational requirements
- Members of the patient-care interdisciplinary team
The Occupational Therapy Aide:
- Definition of OT aide`s role
- Education and training
- Job responsibilities
- Unskilled and skilled tasks, including clerical, inventory, treatment setup, direct patient care, therapeutic activities
- Supervision of the OT aide
- OT Code of Ethics
Introduction to Medical Terminology:
- Definitions
- Anatomical positioning, directional terms, body regions
- Therapeutic terminology
- Common abbreviations
- Nervous, Circulatory and Respiratory Systems Terminology
- The Musculoskeletal System
Activities of Daily Living (ADL):
- Definition of ADL
- Self-care activities
- Homemaking activities
- Leisure activities
- Work activities, including on-site job evaluations
- Community re-entry activities
- Patient transfer techniques
- Driving
- Home safety
Adaptive Equipment:
- Wheelchair components and care
- Ambulation devices
- Bathroom equipment
- Dressing equipment
- Feeding equipment
- Grooming equipment
- Transfer equipment
- OT aide's role in assisting with or modifying adaptive equipment
Therapeutic Treatment:
- Aide's role in assisting with therapeutic treatment, including psychosocial skills
- Group interaction skills
- Cognitive, perceptual and sensory stimulation activities
- Fine and gross motor activities
- Range of motion and strengthening activities
- Aide's role in diagnostic-related activities
Customer Service:
- The patient relationship
- Patient rights
- Confidentiality
- Telephone and interpersonal skills
- Interacting with patients
- Problem solving and conflict resolution
Workplace Health and Safety:
- Patient safety, including standard first aid, CPR, recognizing patient distress
- Personal safety, including wellness and proper body mechanics
- Environmental safety, including infection control, universal precautions
- Fire/disaster procedures
Chicago: (312) 920-8822
Oak Brook: (630) 705-9999
Hours: Call