Regaining Independence
The experienced occupational therapy team assists patients in achieving, or regaining, the capacity to function independently in their day-to-day lives. Concentration areas include working on visual and perceptual skills, upper body strengthening, self-feeding, grooming and hygiene, home management and more.
The occupational therapy team assists adolescents and adults recovering from a number of illnesses and injuries, including:
- Upper extremity or hand injury
- Stroke
- Spinal cord injury
- Brain tumor
- Neuromuscular disease
- Total joint replacement and orthopedic surgery
- Arthritis and rheumatic disease
- Burns
- Amputation
- Lymphedema
- Cancer
Occupational Therapy Services
Occupational therapists use a variety of therapeutic approaches to restore and enhance the living skills of every patient, and help them learn to resume their daily routines, including toileting, grooming, bathing, dressing, cooking and working.
Specific services include:
- Evaluation and treatment of cognitive function
- Evaluation and treatment of visual perception
- Evaluation and treatment of ocular motor function
- Community reintegration skills, including money management, shopping and the use of public transportation
- Training for activities of daily living, including self-care and homemaking
- Assessing safety for independent living
- Hand therapy — splinting, controlled range of motion exercises and edema control
- Work conditioning to prepare for returning to a daily work regimen
- Pre-vocational evaluation focusing on hand function, work skills and simple work tasks
- Home evaluations to determine home accessibility, helpful modifications and supportive equipment needs
Professional Staff
The licensed professional staff of the Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Institute at Palmdale Regional Medical Center includes:
- Clinical manager
- Certified hand therapist
- Licensed physical and occupational therapists
- Certified physical and occupational therapy assistants
- Speech and language therapists.