What a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Does?
Are you considering pursuing a career as a certified occupational therapy assistant, but not sure what the job entails? Don’t worry, we can help you. An occupational therapy assistant (OTA) helps patients to improve their daily living skills. They work directly under the supervision of an occupational therapist. With direction from the occupational therapist, an occupational therapy assistant carries out the health care plan. An occupational therapy assistant provides therapy so a patient can recover from their health condition and live an independent life to the best of their ability.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 55,100 jobs for Occupational therapy assistants in the year of 2019 across the country. The growth of this career is projected to grow faster than average at 32%. As an OT assistant, you can be employed in a variety of settings including therapists’ offices, hospitals, nursing homes and more. Learn how to become an OT assistant.
The goal of occupational therapy is to help patients do every day things such as cooking their own meals or driving a car. An OT assistant helps the patient perform various tasks i.e. helping them move from a bed to a wheelchair and vice versa. To help achieve this OT assistants perform the following duties:
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Help patients perform stretches and exercises
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Educate patients on how to use equipment that helps them depending on their health condition
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Motivate patients to complete tasks
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Record patients’ progress
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Report progress to the occupational therapist and provide feedback
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Assist with administrative tasks