Certain tasks in your daily life become a real challenge, like cooking or going down the stairs? Does your child have trouble concentrating or have difficulty studying? The solution:occupational therapy! Still unknown in France, it is a paramedical discipline regulated by the Public Health Code. Babies, adults or even seniors, all ages are concerned.
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is a paramedical discipline created at the beginning of the XX th century in North America. It consists of the assessment, rehabilitation and treatment of motor and psychomotor disabilities. The objective of the occupational therapist is therefore to restore people's autonomy in order to preserve or develop their daily, family and professional life.
Even if it is still relatively unknown, occupational therapy has been developing for several years in France. The reasons for its success? The aging of the population and the problem of keeping seniors at home, new pathologies, such as dementia or learning disabilities, as well as the development of promotional actions for paramedical medicine.
Occupational therapy:for whom?
Occupational therapy is intended for patients of all generations, from infants to the elderly, and with a wide variety of health problems, such as:
Retirement homes (EHPAD), patients' homes, public hospitals, treatment or rehabilitation centres, municipal social action centres, remand centers, departmental centers for the disabled (MDPH), medical-educational institutes (IME) … the occupational therapist may be called upon to practice in completely different places, just like his patient population.
When should you see an occupational therapist?
Occupational therapist patients have difficulty performing activities of daily living (bathing, preparing meals and eating, getting around, communicating, lying down, working, having fun, etc.), including:
Where can I find an occupational therapist?
Occupational therapists work in hospitals and in the medico-social sector. To find a professional according to your pathologies, go to the website of the French Association of Occupational Therapists, anfe.fr.
Consultations are made on medical prescription, and their cost is not currently covered by health insurance. On the other hand, certain mutual insurance companies such as Better Being can reimburse them.
What does an occupational therapist actually do?
If the role of the occupational therapist is always to maintain a certain independence, each consultation is adapted:
The occupational therapist never manipulates his patient. He evaluates his daily difficulties by means of medical examinations or assessment of relationship difficulties and then proposes various solutions:
The occupational therapist:more than a doctor, a companion
A true companion, the occupational therapist acts on several levels in the therapeutic relationship. He helps the patient to identify and identify his difficulties, and sets with him possible goals to achieve in terms of autonomy. This professional is also responsible for identifying the accommodation needs of the patient's home or workplace. Finally, patient and professional meet regularly to analyze the changes made and adapt the objectives to the patient's feelings.
Throughout the duration of the treatment, the occupational therapist works together with the rest of the medical team following the patient in order to improve their daily life.
Haven't you heard of occupational therapy? No wonder, the discipline is still relatively unknown in France. A loved one has a disability and lacks autonomy? Consider talking to him about occupational therapy.
