Celebrating Occupational Therapists in Workers' Compensation

Occupational therapists touch all aspects of a workers’ comp patient’s recovery and return to work. Their services include:

• Helping an injured worker regain use of their hands to allow them to perform work tasks.
• Recommending home modifications to their living space to maximize the worker’s function and safety at home.
• Conducting a Functional Capacity Evaluation to identify their capacities and their ability to return to work.
• Ensuring that the workstation is ergonomically designed for safe work performance.

OTs and Home Modifications

Our OT, Melissa Smith focuses on adaptive housing solutions that facilitate mobility and independence in the home. She assesses the person and their environment and investigates any physical barriers the home presents. Melissa then develops a plan to provide a better “person-environment fit.” Collaborating with our complex rehab technology specialists and others involved in the claim, Melissa recommends the most effective combination of equipment and structural home modifications while keeping costs contained.

During OT Month (and every day!) we celebrate and appreciate the contributions OTs make toward improving the lives, independence, and well-being of our injured workers. April is a great month to honor an OT in your world!