Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is an area of rehabilitation. Occupational therapists help to improve their patient’s’ ability in performing everyday tasks. They assist people of all ages who have a physical or developmental issues which prevent them from living independent lives. A job in occupational therapy may involve assessing patient’s environments, creating therapy plans, educating families or employers of patients, recording patient’s’ progress, or instructing patients’ on how to use equipment or perform exercises to handle their impairment. There are many different areas of occupational therapy. Some occupational therapists work with children who have developmental disabilities. They might work in schools where they assist their patients in …show more content…

Occupational therapy jobs are on track to increase 21% between 2016 to 2026. The need for occupational therapists is increasing because more people are aging and wanting to remain independent. Other factors that may come with an aging population, such as care for someone who has had a stroke or arthritis, are also contributing to the need for occupational therapists. Occupational therapists work in hospitals, schools, offices, nursing homes, or at patient's homes. Many work in more than one facility and have to travel to different places of work. Occupational therapists are always busy and sometimes have to lift heavy equipment or even support their patients. Most occupational therapists work forty hours a week; sometimes on weekends as needed. The salary of an occupational therapist may depend on where they work. The average salary of occupational therapists in May of 2016 was $81,910 but that can vary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapists that work in home health care or at nursing facilities, where they may spend more time with their patients, make about $90,000 annually. Those that work at their own offices or hospitals make around $80,000 a year. And occupational therapists that work at schools make around