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Occupational Therapy Month
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[APRIL
21, 2004]
"Occupational
Therapy Makes It Possible" is the theme of
Occupational
Therapy Month. Occupational therapists are dedicated to helping
people of all ages meet the demands of daily living, benefiting
people with physical, mental and psychosocial disabilities. These
practitioners are an integral part of the rehabilitation team of
physical therapists, speech therapists, audiologists and
occupational therapists. |
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Each April, the nearly 40,000
occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, educators
and students who make up the American Occupational Therapy
Association take part in a collective celebration to educate the
public about the vital role of occupational therapy in health and
well-being in our society.
More people need to know the
huge contribution that occupational therapy and occupational therapy
practitioners, researchers and educators make in people's lives.
They need to know how occupational therapy can make a difference in
their lives through the use of adaptive equipment and teaching
adaptive strategies to use in their daily living. They need to know
about the positive changes that occur through occupational therapy,
and only occupational therapy, by helping individuals return to an
independent life. Occupational therapy practitioners promote the
health and well-being of children, the elderly, the injured or
disabled.
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this article]
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Occupational therapist Mike
Warner has been with ALMH for 1½ years, and occupational therapist
Emily Foster has been with ALMH two years, transferring from
Memorial Medical Center. Jennifer Riedel, a student in the
occupational therapy assistant program at Lincoln Land Community
College, is currently helping Warner and Foster. She will remain at
ALMH until May 5.
The three work with adults,
assisting them after strokes, hip or knee replacements, upper
extremity injuries, fractures, nerve damage, arthritis, carpel
tunnel, and more. The majority of the inpatients receiving
occupational therapy are elderly. These patients are learning how to
make their homes safer and more accessible, sometimes with the use
of adaptive equipment. Most outpatients receiving occupational
therapy are individuals working toward returning to the work force.
For
more information about occupational therapy, call (217) 732-2161,
ext. 179.
[ALMH
news release]
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