What is occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy may be used for the following diseases or disabilities:

• Medical conditions affecting the brain (such as dementia, stroke, parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis)
• Paralysis (following a spinal injury, for example)
• Mental illness (like depression, an anxiety disorder or schizophrenia)
• Muscle, joint or skeletal problems (such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or a broken bone)
• Amputations, prostheses or joint replacements
• Developmental disorders – for instance, related to motor (movement) disorders, autism or physical and mental disabilities
• Cancer

The goal of occupational therapy is to develop and improve the skills that are needed to live life as independently as possible. This includes things like being able to take care of yourself and to work – as well as being able to leave your home and meet up with other people.

Occupational therapy can help you to cope with a (new) physical, mental or psychological limitation and manage better in everyday life. This can improve your health and quality of life, and make it easier to take part in social activities. Relatives and other caregivers can also get useful tips and advice from an occupational therapist.

Depending on the type of limitation, your personal circumstances and the goal of the treatment, occupational therapy may include the following:

• Practicing everyday skills (getting dressed, preparing food, doing household chores)
• Learning and practicing skills for school, work or activities that you do in your free time
• Developing and trying out personal strategies to help you reach your own goals
• Movement and perception exercises
• Concentration and memory exercises
• Manual and creative exercises
• Help in structuring your daily routine
• Changing things in your home or workplace
• Using medical aids such as a walker or prosthesis
• Advice and guidance for you and, if needed, for relatives and other caregivers too

Ideally, the treatment goals will be planned together with the therapist and your progress will also be monitored together. For occupational therapy to succeed, you need to participate actively and then also put what you've learned into practice as often as possible. Here are two examples of what occupational therapy might involve:

Carl was paralyzed on one side of his body after a stroke and it was difficult for him to speak. He has already made major progress with physical therapy and speech therapy – but he can’t use his right arm like he could before and he is very unsteady on his feet. So he needs to use a walker.

His occupational therapist shows him how to use the walker properly and he practices moving around with it. To help him grasp things better with his right hand and manage better in everyday life, she practices certain activities with him – like brushing his teeth and writing. She also teaches him various arm and hand exercises. On top of that, she helps him and his wife to make changes to their home so that he can safely move around in it with his walker.

Mary has schizophrenia. This affects her motivation and she has a lot of trouble focusing on things. It is difficult for her to organize and manage her daily routine. She often feels overwhelmed and is very insecure when dealing with other people.

She does concentration exercises together with her occupational therapist. They also look at how she can set realistic goals for each day – like doing the shopping and cooking, for instance. She does manual and creative exercises in a group, too, to help her practice planning the different steps of a task and carrying out simple activities. The group setting gives her a chance to practice being around other people and communicating with them.

Note: This information describes the current situation in Germany. Things may be different in other countries.

Occupational therapy is offered in places like:

• Hospitals
• Rehabilitation centers
• Occupational therapy practices
• Outpatient clinics
• Nursing homes and residential care homes
• Early intervention centers
• Sheltered workshops for people with disabilities

Some occupational therapy practices also offer home visits.

Occupational therapy is usually prescribed by a doctor. Depending on the situation, in Germany the costs of the therapy (Ergotherapie) are covered by

• your statutory health insurance,
• your accident insurance (Unfallversicherung),
• your pension fund (Rentenversicherung),
• your nursing care insurance (Pflegeversicherung), or
• the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) – in the form of benefits that aim to help you participate in working life.

Sometimes you have to pay for occupational therapy yourself, so it's a good idea to check with your insurance first.