As we age, our bodies change. This can lead to pain and loss of mobility that prevent us from doing the things we enjoy in life. For these reasons, physical therapy is a great way for elderly people to improve their quality of life! Not only does it help with pain relief and increase mobility but it also helps with mental health issues such as anxiety or depression caused by dementia or stroke. In our next blog post we will look at Physical Therapy. In this post, you will learn about 10 benefits Occupational therapy for the elderly! How are these two different and what exactly is occupational therapy?
Physical therapy and occupational therapy are great ways to keep the elderly healthy. Occupational therapy helps people regain their strength, while physical therapy aids in improving stamina and mobility. There are many other benefits of these therapies that you may not have realized!
Occupational Therapy can help with many different things that affect the elderly. Occupational therapy can help improve memory, cognition, and mobility. Occupational therapy is a great way for our elders to stay active as well because it improves their quality of life!
In this post we are going to talk about how occupational therapy can improve the quality of a senior’s life and help them to stay safe in their home as long as possible.
Benefit #1: Occupational therapy can assist with cognitive or memory changes. Often times, the physician will look to an Occupational therapist to help determine memory and cognitive issues that may indicate safety concerns at home especially if they live alone. They can perform simple tests with the patient to assess their memory, thought process, problem solving ability, and then make recommendations at to how safe they may be at home or what type of supervision is needed to keep them safe.
Benefit #2: Occupational therapy can help with physical deficits due to stroke or dementia. If a senior has had strokes or is living with dementia, occupational therapy can be helpful to improve their ability to function and even provide some relief.
Benefit #3: Occupational therapy can reduce anxiety in the elderly by teaching them daily life skills that they may not have been able to do on their own due to physical limitations from arthritis for example.
Benefit #4: An OT (occupational therapist) can provide recommendations for equipment or tool aides that may help a senior perform their own ADLS or Activities of Daily living such as bathing, dressing, using the restroom, etc.
Benefit #5: OTs may be able to recommend a good caregiver that can work with the senior or make recommendations when a caregiver may be a good idea.
Benefit #6 An Occupational Therapist may help you adapt to your environment after having a stroke. Occupational therapy can also help with the process of aging. With occupational therapy, you may be able to continue living at home even if your mobility problems make it difficult for you to do daily tasks like dressing yourself or getting out of bed and using the bathroom.
Benefit #7: Occupational therapy is a non-invasive, outpatient treatment that may be covered by your insurance. Occupational therapy can be done as an outpatient or at times provided right in your home.
Benefit #8: OTs can provide an exercise plan to help you get stronger so you can maintain your independence. A therapist will work closely with family members and teach them how they can properly help you.
Benefit #9: An OT can teach you ways to be safer in your home. Occupational therapy may help reduce the risk of falls while working closely also with Physical Therapy.
Benefit #10: Occupational therapy may help improve the quality of life for seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and they are often covered by health insurance and Medicare. With occupational therapy, you can learn how to do everyday tasks that might be difficult due to hand tremors caused by Parkinson’s Disease, arthritis, heart attack or other health condition.
In our interview with Occupational Therapist Jake Peloquin, we discuss just how Occupational Therapy and be a benefti. Enjoy!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post. If we can help answer any questions or address your concerns, please contact us via our website or leave your questions in the comment section. Linda and I will address all questions personally. For more information on the benefits of Occupational Therapy for elderly patients and their caregivers, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list, so that you won’t miss an update from us!
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It’s never too early to think about occupational therapy for an elderly patient. Occupational therapists are experts in the treatment and prevention of physical limitations, assisting with rehabilitation from illness or injury, helping patients recover function after a stroke or brain injury as well as providing care during chronic illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease or Multiple Sclerosis.
There is always more to learn and the latest research developments can help us better understand how best to meet the needs of our clients. Join our mailing list today so that you don’t miss out on new blog posts like this one! Please feel free to suggest a topic you would like to see covered in the comment section below.
p.s. Don’t forget to grab your free checklist “11 Ways to Know Your Elder Parent or Spouse May Need Help in the Home.
