Occupational Therapy

An occupational therapist working with a patient.

Occupational Therapy in Salt Lake City

Occupational therapy in Salt Lake City at Monument Health offers a personalized and holistic approach to rehabilitation services. Our team of experienced occupational therapists is dedicated to helping individuals regain independence, improve function, and achieve their goals. Focusing on individualized care and evidence-based practices, we strive to support our clients in reaching their fullest potential. Whether recovering from surgery, hospital stay, injury, or illness, our goal is to enhance people’s quality of life and help them achieve more independence.

Schedule a consultation today for occupation therapy at Monument Health

What Is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy helps individuals of all ages achieve independence in daily living activities. These activities may include self-care tasks, work responsibilities, and hobbies. Occupational therapists work with clients to address physical, cognitive, emotional, and environmental challenges that may impact their ability to engage in these activities. Our therapists aim to help patients refine their hand and upper extremity function, motor skills, bladder and bowel control, and lower extremity function.

What Does an Occupational Therapy Session Look Like?

An occupational therapy session usually begins with an initial evaluation to assess the individual’s strengths, challenges, goals, and needs. Based on this assessment, the therapist works with the individual to develop a personalized treatment plan that includes a variety of therapeutic interventions.

During subsequent sessions, an occupational therapist will:

Work with the individual on specific skills or tasks such as dressing, grooming, or movement
Provide exercises or activities to improve strength, coordination, balance, range of motion, and fine motor skills
Teach adaptive techniques to help individuals overcome physical limitations
Evaluate and recommend assistive devices or equipment to improve independence and safety in daily activities
Make recommendations to modify the person’s home and work environment to facilitate optimal functioning

What Is the Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy?

Occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) both help individuals improve their quality of life through rehabilitative interventions. While there is some overlap between the two, there are key differences in their primary focus and treatment approaches.

PT focuses on improving a person’s movement, strength, flexibility, balance, and overall functional mobility. On the other hand, OT is not limited to regaining function but also ensures that an individual leads a fulfilling lifestyle by promoting independence in everyday activities.

Additionally, physical therapists prioritize improving mobility and physical function, while occupational therapists focus more on enhancing daily living skills and independence in meaningful activities. Furthermore, PT involves exercises to improve physical impairments. In contrast, OT includes adaptations, environmental modifications, and task-specific training to enhance overall daily functioning.

Both therapies are important in helping individuals recover from injuries or illnesses, improve their quality of life, and achieve their personal goals. In many cases, a collaborative approach involving both OT and PT is beneficial for comprehensive rehabilitation.

Start Occupational Therapy in Salt Lake City Today

When you are ready to regain independence, improve function, and regain independence, it is easy to find occupational therapy near you through Monument Health in Salt Lake City. Our caring and compassionate team is ready to work with you to develop a personalized care plan to help you reach your fullest potential. Contact us now to start regaining control over your independence.

Occupational Therapy FAQs

OT helps promote independence and improve overall well-being through personalized interventions tailored to individual needs. Conversely, skilled nursing and rehabilitation primarily provide medical care and therapeutic services to help improve patients’ health following illness, injury, surgery, or hospitalization. Both OT and skilled nursing and rehabilitation enhance overall functioning and well-being.

Speech therapy assesses and treats speech, language, communication, voice disorders, and swallowing difficulties. Speech therapists work with clients to improve their ability to communicate effectively and safely swallow food and liquids.

The duration of occupational therapy varies depending on the individual’s specific needs, recovery goals, and treatment plan. The frequency and duration of OT also depend on factors such as the severity of the condition being treated and the progress made during therapy. Individual OT sessions usually last between 30 minutes to an hour. The actual length of time can range from several weeks to several months, sometimes longer, depending on whether the person needs short-term rehab or long-term rehab.