Therapy at Home, Where Everything Is Occupational

As an occupational therapist, helping patients regain their strength and function so they can live life to the fullest is all part of a day’s work. What if you could provide therapy in a patient’s home, where life actually happens, obstacles are visible, and the care is personal? As a home health occupational therapist or therapy assistant, you can.

If you’re looking for a change of scenery in your occupational therapy career, let us tell you why home health could be the perfect fit.

At Home, Everything Around You Is Occupational 
 

Home health truly is the perfect place for occupational therapy. Everything around you is occupational. Is your patient having trouble showering? You can have them shower for their treatment. Are they struggling with using their hands and arms to cook or clean? You can incorporate those activities into their therapy, too. Occupational therapy performed in a patient’s home is really ideal because you’re teaching patients how to manage and perform daily living activities where they will actually be performing them.

You’re More Than Just a Clinician
 

When working in the home health setting, an occupational therapy practitioner is more than just a clinician–the therapist or therapy assistant also serves as an educator, client advocate, and a member of a clinical team. Many occupational professionals who have switched to the home health setting report a much higher sense of fulfillment by serving in this multi-faceted role.

You Can Make Better Choices for the Patient in the Home Setting
 

Occupational therapy practitioners in home health are able to gather rich and comprehensive information about the patient’s spontaneous and habitual performance within the context of daily living, as well as identify supports and barriers that affect the patient’s engagement in occupations. Although possible in the outpatient setting, this allows you to make better clinical decisions for your patients by observing how they interact in a real-life setting.

You Play a Critical Role in Managing Chronic Conditions 
 

Whether your patient has been recently diagnosed with a chronic condition or they’ve been living with it for years, occupational therapists can help manage those conditions in various ways. As a home care occupational therapist, you can help turn overwhelming and confusing “doctor’s orders” into a manageable daily habit and routine for your patient.

A few of the chronic conditions you may treat include:

• Diabetes
• Heart failure
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Cognitive and behavioral conditions 

You Can Have the Work-Life Balance You’ve Been Dreaming of 
 

When you work in home care, you can essentially set your own hours. You can work as much as you want and when you want—you determine your schedule. Whether you’re in school, balancing a family, or just looking to pick up some extra work, home care makes it possible.

Interim HealthCare is hiring home health occupational therapists and assistants who are ready to experience the rewards of home-based care and work-life balance.

Visit our Made for This page to learn more about a career at Interim HealthCare.