Louise Regan, 2/5/2017
There are times when a senior loved one may need additional medical assistance if a fall or injury should occur. Remember, if it is an emergency and your loved is severely injured, make sure you dial 911 and elicit the help of an emergency care team. After properly assessed by a doctor, occupational therapy in a skilled nursing facility may be required to restore function and recover.
When a client is admitted to a facility, they tend to require around the clock nursing care and the skills of the rehabilitation team to attempt to return them to their prior level of functioning. Through an initial evaluation determining the client and/or caregiver’s needs or wants, an intervention plan is established to assist in returning the client to their desired location, usually returning home. HomeCare.com Senior Advisors can refer an experienced caregiver to help loved ones return home following a hospital stay.
As defined on the American Occupational therapy website: Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability. Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which their focus is on adapting the environment and/or task to fit the person, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team. It is an evidence-based practice deeply rooted in science (AOTA).
Together with physical therapists, speech therapists, social workers, nursing staff, and doctors, occupational therapists engage the clients daily in their individual intervention plan with a focus on safe discharge planning. One important way to ensure safe discharge is to recommend, when appropriate, Home Health services to ensure the continuum of care and safe transition back home. This is done, along with caregiver and client education of the disease process, and education on safety with Activities of Daily living (ADL) to attempt to prevent re-hospitalization of the client.
