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April is National Occupational Therapy Month. You might be asking yourself what is occupational therapy and what occupational therapists do on a daily basis. Well, look no further because we have an in-home occupational therapist taking us through her day!
Hi Everyone! I am Ashley Joyce. I have been an occupational therapist (OT) for 11 years. I spent most of my career in neuro-rehab working on a stroke-specific inpatient rehab unit. After having my third son, I was ready for change at work. I am so lucky to have found a new home at Advanced Home Health! I have been working with Advanced for about 1.5 years and it has been great! I love the flexibility and working for a company that truly cares about me and the patients.
OT is so vital for a patient’s return to their best self, that is what I love about OT. I get to be creative and help people find a way to get back to their daily life activities, priorities, and leisure tasks.
My day usually starts in chaos as I try to get all three kids ready and out the door. I grab breakfast to go and I’m off to start my day.
I head to see my first patient, Carl. He is always up and ready early! Carl had a below-knee amputation a couple of months ago and he is recovering tremendously! We have been working on safely donning and doffing his prosthetic. It’s hard to believe Carl was able to adapt to his new leg so well at 86 years old!
Then I am off to Beaver Falls Personal Care Home where I get to work with the best PT, Kelly Muha. Teamwork and communication are extremely important as Kelly, Michelle (our Advanced RN at BF PCH) and I are not always there at the same time.
The residents here love when we have a cooking day! Today we are making peanut butter cookies. We have made many different recipes, usually ones the residents pick. We have made Chris’ meatballs, Kelly’s linguini salad, chocolate mousse, buffalo chicken dip and more!
Rick has MS and has been working so hard to improve his independence with self-care and IADLs. We’ve been practicing some yoga to improve his balance.
I wrap up my day by making a stop to see Jerry. He is always ready for a good workout and a good laugh! Today, I had him reaching into the cupboards to make sure he wouldn’t go hungry when his wife isn’t home.
Then he pumped some iron!
Before I head home, I make phone calls to my patients that I plan to see for the next day.
Once I confirm all my visits for the following day, I’m ready to relax with the family. After the kids go to bed, I finish up any documentation that I was not able to complete during the day. And that’s it! A day in the life of a home health occupational therapist!
About Advanced Home Health
Advanced Home Health is a local, family-owned, home health and home care provider located in Western PA, servicing Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, and Washington Counties.
To learn more visit: www.advancedhomehealth.com or call 412-344-4100.