Occupational Therapy in South Africa: What Occupational Therapists Do

1. Occupational Therapy in South Africa: What Occupational TherapistsDo Occupational therapists are specialists in learning about people and creating environments that will help them achieve their goals. They can work with someone who is using a wheelchair, who has cerebral palsy, or who has any other condition. They also work with people who have mental illnesses, chronic pain, or dementia. Most importantly, they will work with children and adults to help them learn life skills which will help them live fulfillinglives. Occupational therapists work in many different settings. Some of these include hospitals, schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and families’ homes. Occupational therapists also provide advice to organizations on how to make their workplaces more adaptive for people with disabilities. The following article is an introduction to what occupational therapists do and how they can help you or your loved one reach theirgoals. What Occupational TherapistsDo

2. Occupational therapists are specialists in learning about people and creating environments that help them achieve their goals. Most occupational therapists work with children or adults to help those live fulfilling lives. Occupational therapists can work with someone who is using a wheelchair, who has cerebral palsy, or who has any other condition. They also work with people who have mental illnesses, chronic pain, or dementia; this includes working with children and adults. Occupational therapists work in many different settings. Some of these include hospitals, schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and families’ homes. Occupational therapists alsoprovide advice to organizations on how to make their workplaces more adaptive for people with disabilities. Occupational therapy is a versatile field that takes into account what would be best for the person being treated while considering all aspects of their lives. It is not just limited to physical tasks but focusesonthecognitivedomainstoosuchasmemoryandattentionspan.Thetherapistwillassess not only the current state of the person but also understand how the environment influences their life so they can create a plan of actionaccordingly. The following article is an introduction of what occupational therapists do and how they can help you reach your goals: Occupational Therapy in SouthAfrica Occupationaltherapistsarespecialistsinlearningaboutpeopleandcreatingenvironmentsthatwill helpthemachievetheirgoals.Theycanworkwithsomeonewhoisusingawheelchair,whohas

3. cerebral palsy, or who has any other condition. They also work with people who have mental illnesses, chronic pain, or dementia. Most importantly, they will work with children and adults to help them learn life skills which will help them live fulfillinglives. Occupational therapists work in many different settings. Some of these include hospitals, schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and families’ homes. Occupational therapists also provide advice to organizations on how to make their workplaces more adaptive for people with disabilities. Who is an OccupationalTherapist? Occupationaltherapistsarespecialistsinlearningaboutpeopleandcreatingenvironmentsthatwill help them achieve their goals. They can work with someone who is using a wheelchair, who has cerebral palsy, or who has any other condition. They also work with people who have mental illnesses, chronic pain, or dementia. Most importantly, they will work with children and adults to help them learn life skills which will help them live fulfillinglives. Occupational therapy South Africa works by treating the person as a whole person. The therapist is always trying to find out how the person’s environment can influence their ability to function well at home and in the community. Occupational therapists have a holistic approach and they don’tjustseewhattheycandoforapersonbutalsoexaminewhattheenvironmentcandotohelp a person reach their goals. The occupational therapist is able to provide an assessment on how the person is functioning in their environment or situation and then identify ways that this could be improved on. Some of the tasks which occupational therapists might do include designing custom-made equipment for someone’s home (e.g., handrails for stairs), recommending changes in somebody’s workplace (e.g.,newcomputersoftware),oradvisingonappropriateassistivetechnologydevices(e.g.,voice- controlled computer). Successful occupational therapy includes: improving function; reducing pain; preventing injury; changingthoughtsandfeelings(reducingstress);andchangingsocialnetworksordevelopingnew ones if How Can Occupational Therapists HelpYou? Occupationaltherapistsarespecialistsinlearningaboutpeopleandcreatingenvironmentsthatwill helpthemachievetheirgoals.Theycanworkwithsomeonewhoisusingawheelchair,whohas

4. cerebral palsy, or who has any other condition. They also work with people who have mental illnesses, chronic pain, or dementia. Most importantly, they will work with children and adults to help them learn life skills which will help them live fulfillinglives. Occupational therapists also provide advice to organizations on how to make their workplaces more adaptive for people with disabilities. Conclusion Occupational therapists are experts in helping people of all ages who have physical, cognitive, psychological, social, or environmental limitations. Occupational therapists can provideeducation

5. on how to do the things that you’d like to do, develop strategies to use when you’re doing things that are difficult or new, and help with the things that you’d like to avoiddoing. If you want to know more about occupational therapy and how it can help you, talk to your healthcare provider or contact us. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and provide more information on occupational therapy in SouthAfrica.