What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy (or “OT” for short) is a medical rehabilitation profession. Occupational therapists work with clients to help them gain new skills or relearn old skills so they can participate in the everyday activities and roles that are important to them.
What does OT have to do with having a stroke at a young age?
The many possible cognitive, emotional, and physical effects of a stroke can affect many areas of a person’s daily life. For a young person, these areas often look different than those for older people, and can include school, working and finances, making friends, pregnancy and child-raising, dating and marriage, driving, or sports, to name just a few.
If you feel like your stroke has limited your ability to do the things that you need to do every day and you’re having a hard time finding solutions, you may want to work with an occupational therapist. An OT can help you find ways to regain old abilities and develop new skills to deal with the long-term effects of your stroke, from difficulty with memory to muscle weakness and spasticity, from low mood to vision loss.
How do I access occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is covered by insurance and Medicaid in most instances, so ask your doctor for a referral. There are also rehabilitation research studies that you may qualify to participate in (at no cost to you). In Charleston, SC, you may qualify for the CARES rehabilitation clinic, which is run for un-insured clients by MUSC rehab students and volunteer rehab professionals.
