OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AT HOME

Occupational therapy is a socio-sanitary discipline that focuses on the treatment of people who have a deficit in the performance of their daily activities and occupations, from the most basic such as grooming or clothing, to more complex tasks such as money management or the care of the home. Its purpose is to improve the autonomy of the person, and improve the quality of life.

An intervention from occupational therapy at home allows us to transfer to daily life all the objectives that are worked on in physiotherapy, neuropsychology and speech therapy sessions. In each person’s own environment it will be possible to adapt to the individual and personal needs of each one.

At home we analyze the activities that are carried out in order to detect difficulties or abilities and skills. We also analyze the current role that each one develops in their environment. Many times after suffering a brain damage the person changes the roles of home and happens to depend on a third person to perform their daily activities. These roles, instead of adapting to advances in rehabilitation, tend to become chronic and family members adopt the role of caregiver and the patient has a more passive role in the basic activities of cleanliness and self-care and in household chores.

 


For this reason, in the Neurorehabilitation Clinic we believe that it is very important to be able to make a TO intervention to encourage, help and train the different tasks and daily activities, to improve the autonomy and to change the role of the affected person to be more active and participative. Advice and recommendations are given on changes and adaptations that facilitate accessibility and mobility within the home. An example of a TO session at home could be participating in the kitchen. From choosing the dinner looking at what is in the fridge, prepare the food (clean, cut food and cook) all training the use and management of devices that facilitate the realization of the activity (as would be a kitchen table for hemiplegia) . Throughout this process the person works on motor, neuropsychological aspects (such as remembering the steps to be taken, preventing what we need to cook, being alert to unexpected events or organizing time and space), aspects of speech therapy (oral language, reading, comprehension) of language) and emotional aspects. Other examples would be to put and empty the dishwasher or the washing machine and even leave home alone and be able to move around the neighborhood (on foot or in a wheelchair) autonomously and safely.