Geriatric Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists work with older adults in a variety of setting. This can include retirement communities that offer health and wellness programs, exercise programs and education; community centers that offer client and caregiver education and training; skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and adult living facilities (ALF) that offer rehabilitation, and client/family education; as well as the home environment providing education, training and home modifications for clients, family, and caregivers.

"Old folks are worth a fortune: with silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, stones in their kidneys, lead in their feet, and gas in their stomachs!"...from 'some ole gal'.

"Old age ain't for sissies!" is an expression often quoted by those from a generation who have endured plenty of hard times in their lifetime. People over the age of 80 have had to endure The Great Depression, World War II, have attended funerals of family and friends who too soon departed, and now maybe they have to endure a chronic physical or mental condition...often without any family support.

People of this generation are resilient and not used to asking others for help. They have become mentally tough because of all they had to endure...without complaining. Many knew what it was like to not have enough to eat growing up in a large family, going to the bathroom (outhouse) outdoors behind their house, getting their drinking water from a well that had to be pumped, reading by candlelight to save on electricity, or maybe walking to work because there was no family car. This was a generation that had strong beliefs and faith, as well as integrity, and they expect others to share these ideals.

An 80th birthday celebration with family and friends! As is typical of people her age, she has endured the lose of a spouse and many loved ones over the years.

Healthcare providers who work with people from this generation realize that seniors will not readily ask for assistance, as they have been used to being independent most of their lives. Unfortunately, with increasing age, comes increasing reliance on others for help, even when the person does not want to acknowledge their current condition.

The Occupational Therapist who evaluates a client in the home environment will weigh the client and family's desire to be independent along with the current medical problems and safety issues, and help formulate solutions that will not compromise the client's health and safety.

When a client has been independent at home and functioning at a fairly high level, the OT will look at how their current medical condition is affecting their ability to eventually return to their prior level of functioning. Sometimes the client will need adaptive equipment such as grab bars in the tub/shower, a walker for safe ambulation, home modifications such as a rail on the steps, etc. There is no cookie cutter approach to helping seniors live independently and safely and so the OT has to consider a wide variety of situations.

Case Study: A client with COPD no longer has the strength or endurance to take a shower standing up and will need to consider sitting in the shower, using a long handle shower extension and padded tub bench. He would normally remove the nasal cannula while bathing, but because the SAO2 (blood oxygen) level tends to drop below 90% frequently with exertion, now he will need to break the task down into smaller and slower steps and keep the nasal cannula on while bathing, by adding a hose extension. This way the client can still remain independent with this task as he did not want a home health aide coming in to assist with his bathing.

To find out a little more about Occupational Therapy please click on the various images below!