Seniors and Occupational Therapy for Well-Being

Senior In-Home Care  |  October 21, 2024

What Every Senior in North Vancouver and West Vancouver Needs to Know About Occupational Therapy

What is Senior Occupational Therapy?

Seniors and Occupational Therapy | Occupational therapy helps seniors lead independent and productive lives. This type of therapy allows seniors to recover or develop skills needed to complete daily tasks. This practice has been beneficial for seniors who feel they can no longer meet day-to-day physical and mental challenges.

FAST FACTS: Occupational therapy, as we know it today, began in the late 1800s when arts and crafts therapists were used to help patients with physical and mental illnesses.

Those who work in occupational therapy work to understand an individual’s specific needs. They assess by talking with the client, their family members, friends, and their primary doctor/physician. Therapists evaluate medical history, eating/sleeping patterns, and other behavioural patterns that can help form a thorough assessment. From there, they will develop a plan comprised of specific recommendations and techniques conducive to meeting his or her goals.

The Benefits of Occupational Therapy for Seniors

Occupational therapy supports many seniors in managing activities of daily living (ADLs), including bathing, toileting, and dressing. However, conditions such as arthritis or diabetes can make these tasks more difficult. The goal of therapy is to help seniors adapt, maintain mobility, and function independently despite physical limitations. In addition to improving physical abilities, therapists also use techniques to strengthen memory and cognitive skills, promoting overall mental and emotional well-being.

Four Tips About How Occupational Therapy Can Help Seniors:

Tip #1 – Overcoming daily challenges: 

There are certain activities younger people take for granted. For seniors, these tasks may feel monumental. In fact, physical barriers can add to the overall stress a senior may feel. Therapists will work to form strategies that allow seniors to do things they used to or want to do Therapists help seniors overcome limitations or identify alternatives.

Tip #2 – Modifying the home: 

Some ADLs simply can’t be completed without some form of environmental assistance. Therapists may recommend that improvements or modifications be made in the home, whether it’s the installation of railings, mats, grip bars – or any other assistive devices designed to help improve balance and stability – or modified utensils that can make eating easier. This can make a significant difference for those who may be suffering from arthritis or Parkinson’s. The benefit of a therapist helping to modify the home is really twofold: on one hand, it helps improve functionality, and on the other, it enhances the safety of the overall environment.

Tip #3 – Improving mental well-being: 

As mentioned, occupational therapy does not revolve solely around improving physical well-being. If they’ve received referrals from doctors or other health care professionals to help reduce stress or anxiety, occupational therapists can incorporate relaxation exercises and techniques into a senior’s routine. Similarly, they can utilize various activities to help improve cognition, with crossword puzzles or memory games.

Tip #4 – Promoting independence: 

Therapists are instructed to help improve quality of life, not just within a short period, but for a lifetime – and that begins with taking into account what challenges a senior wishes to overcome, day in and day out. The key to occupational therapy is that it represents a way of educating and showing the steps an individual can take on their own to continue meeting their goals and completing ADLs.

How Comfort Keepers® Can Help Canada’s Seniors

The goals of occupational therapy – improving quality of life and promoting independence – coincide with that of Comfort Keepers®. Occupational therapists can provide direct communication to our team, informing them of changes in a client’s behaviour or specific needs. From there, our caregivers can reinforce prescribed techniques and strategies designed to help a senior meet his or her goals and maintain independence. Contact us today to discover all of the services we provide.

Comfort Keepers® North Vancouver and West Vancouver Can Help with In-Home Elderly Care Services!

Our senior care agency offers dementia care, companionship care, end-of-life care, post-surgery care, palliative care, personal care, senior living transition services, and much more! Above all, if you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones Comfort Keepers® can help with 24-hour care!

Comfort Keepers® is a Senior Care Agency That Can Make a Difference with Interactive Caregiving™

Our expert in-home caregivers will strive to ensure your senior loved one has the best quality of life possible, bringing joy and good health to their home environment. Our Interactive Caregiving™ program ensures all needs in terms of safety, nutrition, mental well-being, and everyday activities of home care services are met.

The staff at Comfort Keepers® achieves this by delivering top-quality, compassionate care and safety technology solutions, fostering independence, and enhancing overall well-being. Empathetic caregiving is care that starts in the heart and allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. Our trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home.

Quality and Accredited Elderly Care In-Home: Happier, Healthier, and at Home with 24/7 Care Opportunities!

Have you been thinking about Nursing Homes as a solution? Do you need a Home Care solution for you or a loved one? Comfort Keepers® supports seniors in North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and the surrounding areas, enabling them to maintain happy, healthy lives in the comfort of their own homes.

Senior Homecare Near Me

Contact the Comfort Keepers® North Vancouver and West Vancouver office to learn more about our unique service offering.

Comfort Keepers is an Accredited Senior Care Agency in North and West Vancouver, BC

Comfort Keepers®, the premium home care service for Seniors on the North Shore, was awarded the “Accredited with Exemplary Standing” seal by Accreditation Canada. Achieving the highest available certification in Canada for Accredited Home care services demonstrates Comfort Keepers® commitment to offering safe, high-quality home care to its senior clients in North Vancouver and West Vancouver.

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References:

• SeniorsMatter. “Occupational Therapists for Seniors” by Alison McIntosh. Web. 2017.
• LiveStrong. “OT Exercises for Seniors” by Ashely Miller. Web. 2014.
• TopOccupationalTherapySchool. “Occupational Therapy for Seniors – What are the Key Benefits?” Web. 2016.
• LiveScience. “What is Occupational Therapy?” by Stephanie Pappas. Web. 2014.

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