Occupational Therapy

Receive the assistance you need to become more independent at home, school, and work.

Our Occupational Therapist will address any difficulty you have personally (whether it is physical, mental, or emotional), with your environment, or with your work or activities.

An Occupational Therapist helps people to be more independent by addressing difficulties within the person (physical, emotional, and mental), their environments, or their occupations and activities.

You can benefit, if you have experienced:

• Work-related Injuries
• Limitations following a Stroke or Brain Injury
• Health issues related to aging
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Chronic Pain
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Visual or hearing impairments
• Mental Illness
• Learning Problems or Developmental Disabilities
• Difficulty doing tasks related to self-care, work, or leisure.

Occupational Therapy Services Include:

Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)

The FCE is an intensive 1-on-1 functional assessment that tests any combination of the following:

• Range of motion
• Muscle Strength
• Endurance / Activity Tolerance
• Balance
• Gross Motor Coordination
• Cardiovascular Capacity
• Fine Motor Coordination
• Manual Dexterity
• Tolerance for Work Simulation tasks
• Cognitive abilities (in special situations)

The FCE may take a few hours or 2 work days, depending on the information requested and the tolerance of the individual being tested. The FCE process is individualized and designed to answer the specific questions of the referral source. The FCE may be generalized (baseline) or job-specific (compares abilities to a specific job).

An FCE can be used to answer the following questions:

• What are this individual’s safe functional abilities?
• Is this individual safe to perform the specific job in question?
• Are there any limitations or restrictions in the individual’s ability to perform work?
• Are there any job modifications or accommodations necessary to facilitate return to work?
• What physical / functional impairments exist?
• Is this individual providing a consistent, maximal effort?
• Are the individual’s subjective symptom reports reliable?
• What return to work options are there? (eg. graduated return to work)
• What supports or services would benefit this individual (eg. therapy, work hardening, job coaching, assistive devices, etc.)?

 Job Demands Analysis (JDA)

The JDA is an assessment completed at the work site. The Occupational Therapist reviews the job description, observes the job tasks being performed, discusses job demands with the employer and/or the worker, takes measurements of the work station and the tools used in the job, and reviews and quantifies critical job tasks. The JDA report provides detailed information regarding the physical, cognitive, environmental, and psychosocial aspects and requirements of the job in question.

The JDA can be used for the following:

• to guide the job-specific FCE (ie. compare individual’s abilities to the demands of the job)
• to structure a work conditioning / work hardening program
• to identify potential risk factors for injury and make recommendations to reduce risk
• to provide information required for return to work planning

Work Hardening Program

Work hardening programs are used in conjunction with physiotherapy treatment or for workers who have completed acute therapy but require increased strength and conditioning to return to work. The goal of the work hardening program is to return the injured worker to a specific job.

As the work hardening program focuses on critical job tasks, information regarding the physical demands of the job is required to structure the program. The work hardening program is specific, goal-oriented, and progressive. The worker completes work simulation activities and physical conditioning in a supervised environment with the assistance of the Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist. Education regarding safe work practices, injury prevention, and body mechanics is also provided.

Return to Work Coordination

Return to work coordination involves a variety of components designed to help an injured worker return to work in a safe and timely manner. The return to work program involves communication and cooperation between the Occupational Therapist, worker, employer, and sponsor (if applicable). The return to work plan is based on individual needs and includes the following components:

• worker interview and functional screening assessment
• job site assessment to determine critical job tasks and physical demands
• identification of potential job modifications or worker limitations, if applicable
• development of a specific, time-limited, progressive return to work plan which outlines appropriate job tasks, hours, rest breaks, and activity progression
• education of relevant stakeholders to ensure cooperative efforts and open communication
• job coaching at the work site as needed
• monitoring and support throughout the duration of the plan
• modifications to the return to work plan as necessary

Job Coaching

Job coaching is completed at the work site with the cooperation of the employer and worker. The purpose of job coaching is to provide support and guidance to injured workers who are continuing to work while receiving treatment for their injuries or who are returning to work after a period of time off. On site support allows the worker to regain confidence in his/her ability to perform job tasks and ensures safe and timely return to work.

The process of job coaching involves 1-on-1 assistance on the job, which may include assisting the worker in managing symptoms, identifying compensatory strategies to allow for completion of job tasks, and helping the worker to practice energy conservation techniques and pacing strategies. The job coach also assists with problem solving should the worker identify difficulties performing the duties of the job.

 Pre-Employment Screening

The pre-employment screening process involves functional testing for the purpose of determining whether an individual is able to safely meet the physical demands of a specific job. The functional test takes approximately 1 hour, and is based on specific job demands information provided by the employer.

  Ergonomic Evaluation

The ergonomic evaluation is used to identify the presence of risk factors for workplace injury. The goals of the ergonomics include the following:

• reducing risk of workplace injuries
• improving worker comfort, job satisfaction, and motivation
• improving productivity and work quality
• reducing absenteeism

Ergonomic evaluations are completed at the work site, and involve the Occupational Therapist, employer, and worker(s). The Occupational Therapist reviews the job description, interviews workers, observes the job tasks being performed, takes measurements of the work station and the tools used in the job, and reviews and quantifies critical job tasks. Potential risk factors considered include body postures, force, static exertion, velocity of motion, repetition of tasks or movements, duration, recovery time, psychosocial issues, and environmental factors. A report is compiled and recommendations are made in the following areas:

• Engineering Controls: modification of the workstation &/or equipment used
• Administrative Controls: changes to job task organization
• Work Practice Controls: changes to the way workers complete job tasks

Education Sessions

Group education sessions can be provided or in the workplace or clinic. Sessions are designed to be interactive and provide workers with information that allows them to take responsibility for their own workplace health and safety. Customized education sessions and programs can be developed depending on the specific needs of the workplace. Printed information and relevant resources are provided to participants.

Education topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Injury prevention / safe work practices
• Body Mechanics (including lifting techniques)
• Back Care
• Cumulative Trauma Injuries
• Ergonomics
• Lifestyle Topics (eg. Nutrition, exercise)

Other available Occupational Therapy services :

• Home accessibility / safety assessment
• Wheelchair seating and mobility assessments
• Provision and training of adaptive equipment
• Long term care: transfer training, bed positioning, assistive devices
• Hand therapy: splinting, adaptive equipment, teaching compensatory techniques for activities of daily living

No medical referral is necessary, but consultation with your physician is encouraged by our clinic.

All Occupational Therapy programs and services include a detailed written report following initial assessment, ongoing communication throughout the duration of the required intervention (if applicable), and a discharge / summary report at completion of intervention.