Occupational Therapy Jobs – What You Can Expect with Type of Career

March 30, 2010 - PRLog -- Occupational therapy jobs are one of the highly sought after types of therapy jobs out there.  While there are many types of therapist jobs one can do, all of which offer many benefits, this one in particular offers a number of positive things that would be considered a plus for any career.  To start, with the number of people entering their elder years continually increasing, the outlook for occupational therapist jobs is looking very bright indeed.  In only 8 years, the number of therapists in this line of work is expected to increase by 26%.

So what does someone in this specific therapy discipline actually do?  How do their jobs differ from those of regular physical therapy jobs?  While both physical therapy and occupational therapist jobs involve helping those who physical limitations either from injury or illness, an occupational therapist goes a little farther in their role.  They might end up working with people who have mental disabilities as well.  Their job is to help to improve someone’s basic functioning capabilities so that they are able to live their life in the best way possible.  One of the things someone with this particular therapist job might do is help a patient overcome a problem with basic motor skills that are being affected by some disease they are suffering from.

Getting an occupational therapist job means you will likely be working with a patient that may also be seeing a physical therapist.  There may be some overlap between the therapy jobs and what you two are doing for the patient, but usually you each will focus on something different altogether.  An occupational therapist will focus on skills that are needed for basic daily living.  They will look at and evaluate things like strength, range of motion, cognitive abilities, visual awareness, delays in motor skills and the incorporation of sensory mechanisms.  

Physical therapy jobs look more at things like the ability of the joints to move, strengthening of the muscles, muscle endurance, how well the heart and lungs work and how well someone is able to perform the things they need to do that involved with everyday living.  With occupational therapy jobs, the therapist can treat the patient by way of treatment that is done by the patient at home, training to help build endurance and upper body strength and the building of better developmental functions.

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