OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY- A NOBLE PROFESSION
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY is a health profession, which addresses function of a differently able person and uses specific intervention procedures and activities to restore lost function, compensate for disability and promote health and wellness. When a person become disabled due to any cause, he/she losses the ability to do even minimum activities of his daily life like feeding, dressing etc. Person losses hope for future and life stops for him. When occupational therapy intervenes in this condition patient redefines him self because the Occupational therapist is a skilled person who analyses, designs activities, implement activities to develop the skills of person with disabling ailments. Occupational therapist also a skilled person to design and fabricate need based supportive aids (Hand Splints), Modify the aids and appliances to make them more usable for the Persons with disability, designs new assistive devices enable the person to carryout his /her daily tasks. It assesses physical, psychological and social functions of the individual, identifies areas of dysfunction and involves the individual in activity program to overcome disability and makes the person independent in all aspects of daily living.
Occupational Therapists have no limitation to work or intervene. They can work with normal as well as disabled, children as well as aged. Occupational therapy has started treading path in the new areas like Industrial rehabilitation & Ergonomic Interventions also. In nutshell OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY is a noble profession, which improves the quality of life of persons with disability, and helps them to live with dignity. National Institute of locomotor Disabilities is a prime institute conduct both UG & PG program under affiliation of WBUHS, Government of West Bengal.
Occupational Therapy services at NILD, Kolkata
1. General occupational therapy unit (GOT):
The GOT unit deals with various patients with neurological, orthopedic conditions. Evaluation of the deficits in performance component and therapeutic interventions to improve the performance components through adjunctive, enabling activities purposeful activities and occupation. The techniques are as follows:
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Muscle strengthening and muscle reeducation.
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Range of motion activities for joints.
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Co-ordination training.
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Cognitive-perceptual retraining.
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Sensory reeducation and precautions.
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Balance training.
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Postural education and modification.
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Endurance training.
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Energy conservation and work simplification techniques.
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Guidance for joint protection techniques
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Cumulative trauma disorder prevention
2. Activity Of Daily Living (ADL)
The ADL unit deals with person who has limitations in performance of day-to-day activities in the area of self care, work and leisure. After an initial assessment the intervention strategies are implemented by techniques, media and modalities and teaching methods. The facilities are
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Evaluation to determine the need for assistive and adaptive devices.
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Adapting the methods, that helps person to improve his performance in self-care, work and leisure.
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Functional re-education.
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Gait re-education.
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Evaluation for the need of mobility aids.
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Pre and post prosthetic ADL training.
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Simulated evaluation for return to work
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Assessment of handwriting difficulties and management
3. Hand therapy unit
The hand is vital to human function and appearance. Hand injury may jeopardize a family's livelihood and at the least affects every daily activity. In Hand therapy unit a patient with hand injury is evaluated for bone, tendon, nerve function and hand functions using various assessment techniques
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Edema management
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Post operative management for tendon injuries, tendon transfers and nerve injuries
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Muscle re-education
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Sensory re-education
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Desensitization
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Scar remodelling
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Strengthening activities
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Rom activities
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Hand function training
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Splinting for corrective, supportive and functional purpose
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