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    Apr 13
    Blog: What does an occupational therapist do?

    April is Occupational Therapy Month, honoring the practitioners who help patients of all ages increase independence and function in activities of daily living. Occupational therapists, often referred to as OTs, are specifically educated and trained at a master's level or higher and licensed in New York State to provide their services.

    In a nutshell, the main goal of our occupational therapists here at Saratoga Hospital's Regional Therapy Center is to help people live life toOccupational Therapy Month the fullest and enable them to manage daily living with as little pain as possible. To accomplish that, our occupational therapists develop individualized treatment programs that may include:

    • exercises
    • physical agent modalities
    • hand orthotics
    • specialized techniques
    • and assistive devices.

    For inpatients here at Saratoga Hospital, such as those recovering from a hip replacement, occupational therapists will help make sure patients can take care of themselves before they go homedress, bathe, and prepare simple meals.

    Outpatients typically see an occupational therapist for arm and hand difficulties, such as arthritis or recovering from an injury, to help them manage daily activities with the least amount of pain or limitation. Our occupational therapists also see people with visual problems, as well as children with minor developmental delays in fine motor skills, writing, and coordination.

    At the Regional Therapy Center, our occupational therapists provide specialized hand therapy to treat patients with:

    1. painful conditions, including arthritis, fractures, and overuse injuries
    2. serious injuries like crushed hand or finger, tendon lacerations, nerve injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome
    3.  and other post-operative conditions.

    Our occupational therapists also provide driving-related skills assessments to determine ability to drive safely. It's not an on-the-road test, but a series of assessments to determine a patient's memory to know where they're going, responsiveness to pushing the break when needed, and ability to understand directions and figure out the path to where they are going, as well as assessing visual skills.

    Saratoga Hospital offers comprehensive rehabilitation programsoccupational, physical, and speech therapy, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, and other specialty programsat Regional Therapy Center locations throughout the Saratoga region. If you have a condition or injury that is limiting your ability to function, we can help. For more information on specialized hand therapy and other services provided by the Regional Therapy Center, please call 518-583-8383 or visit our website. Physician referral is required.