Occupational Therapy

Valley Hospital's Department of Occupational Therapy is dedicated to improving our patients' quality of life by promoting maximal functioning and independence and facilitating reintegration into the community.

The Occupational Therapy staff works with all disciplines, including: neurosciences, orthopedics, gerontology, hematology, oncology, and general medicine. Occupational Therapy services are provided to outpatients, hospitalized patients and patients who are specifically admitted to our inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Our clinical expertise and core values of compassion and respect demonstrate our firm commitment to providing the highest quality of care for our patients.

Patients Served

Services are provided to adults recovering from:

• Stroke
• Spinal cord injury
• Brain tumor
• Neuromuscular disease
• Total joint replacement and orthopedic surgery
• Arthritis and rheumatic disease
• Upper extremity and/or hand injury
• Amputation

Services

Occupational therapists use therapeutic approaches to restore and enhance each patient's living skills. Patients are trained to resume their daily routines, including: toileting, grooming, bathing, dressing, cooking and working.

Specific services include:

• Evaluation and treatment of cognitive function.
• Evaluation and treatment of visual perception.
• Evaluation and treatment of ocular motor function.
• Community reintegration skills, including money management, shopping, and the use of public transportation.
• Training for Activities of Daily Living: self-care and homemaking.
• Assessing safety for independent living.
• Hand Therapy: splinting, controlled range of motion exercises and edema control - for hand and upper extremity injuries, reconstructive surgery and burns.
• Work conditioning to prepare for returning to a daily work regimen.
• Pre-vocational evaluation focusing on hand function, work skills, and simple work tasks.
• Home evaluations to determine home accessibility, helpful modifications and supportive equipment needs.