What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy enables people of all ages to participate in daily living.
Occupational therapy promotes health, well-being, and participation
Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants focus on the things you want and need to do in your daily life. Occupational therapy intervention uses everyday life activities (occupations) to promote health, well-being, and your ability to participate in the important activities in your life. This includes any meaningful activity that a person wants to accomplish, including taking care of yourself and your family, working, volunteering, going to school, among many others.
Occupational therapy services typically include:
- an evaluation made just for you that lets us know your history, life experiences, and your interests. We call this your occupational profile, and it tells us what values and activities are important to you during this conversation.
- an intervention plan that is unique to you to improve your ability to perform daily activities and reach your goals,
- and an outcomes evaluation to make sure that the goals you set with your occupational therapy practitioner are being met.
What can occupational therapy do for you?
Occupational therapy can help you participate in life activities (occupations) and provide recommendations for:
- Activities of daily living (such as bathing, dressing, and eating)
- Adaptive equipment (such as shower chairs, or equipment to make daily tasks easier)
- Caregiver and family training
- Planning and making the most of daily routines
- Returning to work, school, and leisure activities
- Techniques to aid in memory, concentration, and executive functioning (e.g., planning and prioritizing, functional cognition)
- Falls prevention and home safety and accessibility
Information above was transferred from AOTA – https://www.aota.org/about/what-is-ot
What makes Occupational Therapy at Freeman Regional Health Services Unique?
Our occupational therapists can provide care along every step of the health care continuum.
- FRHS acute care setting – includes inpatients staying in the hospital short stay for medical reasons
- FRHS skilled swing bed – includes patients staying in the hospital requiring a short-term post-acute rehabilitation stay
- Freeman Regional Nursing Home – includes patients that transition for post-acute care to the nursing home for a longer rehab stay; occupational therapy also provides services to long term care nursing home residents
- Avera@Home Care – includes patients seen in their home for continued customized occupational therapy in the Freeman region
- FRHS Outpatient Occupational Therapy – includes patients that are able to manage community mobility in order to be seen in the outpatient clinic
Do you accept referrals?
Yes, we encourage referrals from medical professionals, caregivers, school officials and others.
Working with your provider
If you need additional medical services (such as a prescription for medications or assistive/adaptive devices or equipment), we will work with your provider or refer you to our staff professionals.
Who pays for my treatment?
Medicare and most major health insurers will pay for part of your occupational therapy services. If you cannot afford to pay, you may be eligible for our financial assistance program. Most insurances are accepted.
Certification and additional resources
Our occupational therapists are licensed and certified by the State of South Dakota.
Help is close to home
To find out more about the FRHS Occupational Therapy program or to make an appointment, please call 605-925-4000