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When in-person therapy was suspended at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, no one anticipated that it would be such a long time before seeing the patients again. The rehab team of Premier HealthCare and YAI's Center for Specialty Therapy searched for a way to connect with patients and their families during this time of uncertainty. No doubt they were scared, confused, and in need of ongoing support, too. Telehealth became a blessing in disguise.
Fast forward a year and in celebration of April being Occupational Therapy (OT) Month, the OT team at YAI and Premier has had time to reflect on how their patients have coped, adapted, and flourished in this pandemic. As OTs, they are uniquely equipped to assess a person’s needs from a holistic perspective; analyze daily occupations; and use functional, everyday activities to meet therapy goals in order to support people to live life to its fullest.
Without access to the materials and equipment in their therapy rooms, OTs relied on people using household items and their home environment for therapy. Although this required more planning and coordinating to find what families and caregivers had at home, it also opened another realm of possibilities. They could now train a patient how to turn on the faucet to brush their teeth using their actual bathroom, teach someone how to cook eggs in their own kitchen, and give patients an opportunity to show off their home exercise program.
The most important resource OTs have found has been the families and staff. With OTs' guidance, caregivers became their therapeutic helpers, getting first-hand experience of the therapy process. This teamwork has helped maximize participation and increase independence for OT recipients. The OT team looks forward to seeing patients in person again, but they will also continue to integrate Telehealth into their services going forward.