Acquiring Home Health Equipment? Consult an Occupational Therapist!
Written by Stephany Lui, Student Occupational Therapist
Hi folks!
Within our blog posts, we encourage and recommend our readers to consult an occupational therapist when acquiring home health equipment. You might wonder why is it important to consult an occupational therapist? Just as you are unique as a person, the home health equipment that’s available out there is also unique! For example, there are many different types of equipment to support mobility. Our recent blog post that provides a brief overview between a walker and a rollator is just one example of the different kinds of equipment available that can support a person’s mobility.
We recommend consulting an occupational therapist because occupational therapists are trained, regulated healthcare professionals that can support a person’s participation in activities that they need or want to do. This can look like a person’s ability to take a shower by themselves, to purchase groceries when needed, or taking a walk to a nearby park to enjoy the view. The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy (CAOT), one of Assistlist’s Partners, defines occupational therapy as a “type of health care that helps to solve the problems that interfere with a person’s ability to do the things that are important to them” (CAOT, 2016). One of the ways an occupational therapist can provide a solution to a person’s need or want to engage in activities that is important to them is to provide equipment recommendations that’s tailored to the person’s lifestyle.
When consulting an occupational therapist regarding the activities that you or a loved one is experiencing difficulties with completing, you may expect a collaborative and therapeutic relationship. After assessing the circumstances and getting to know you or your loved one better, the occupational therapist can make equipment recommendations such as grab bars, raised toilet seats, walker, etc.! Furthermore, occupational therapists can coach you or your loved ones on how to safely use the home health equipment and any necessary precautions. This is also a great opportunity to ask the occupational therapist any questions you may have on purchasing home health equipment brand-new or used. There are many factors to consider when considering if you should purchase equipment new or used, and the decision-making may be easier when consulting an occupational therapist.
If you are hoping to connect with an occupational therapist, here are a few ways you can connect with one:
- Connect with your family doctor or a general practitioner for a referral to an occupational therapist in the community.
- Access your local home and community care services for an occupational therapist by looking into the details of it through your local health authority. If you are residing within The Lower Mainland, this page might be helpful for you.
- You can use the Find an OT search engine that’s available on CAOT.
If you are interested more in occupational therapy as a profession, feel free to check out CAOT’s website.
We hope this blog post has helped our readers understand why consulting an occupational therapist is recommended when acquiring home health equipment!
Stay tuned and see you next time!
Stephany
