Rehabilitation Services

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists work with people of all ages who because of physical, developmental, social or emotional problem need specialized assistance to lead productive lives. Occupational Therapist’s helps individuals achieve independence in their lives despite their disabilities.

Occupational Therapy services may be provided in the hospital, outpatient in the clinic, in the person’s home or in the nursing home.

Services Provided:

• Teaching daily living skills to person and caregivers. Teaching compensatory techniques and use of special equipment to help overcome limitations so a person may participate as fully as possible in skills they need for living (self-care, work and leisure activities).

• Evaluating need for and teaching use of special equipment to accomplish daily living skills. Examples, learning to use a sock aid, reacher, dressing stick, transfer board, adapted eating utensils, computer trackball, etc.

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  Evaluating and treating feeding or swallowing problems. Teaching the person and caregivers how to change food and liquid textures for a safer swallow, feeding equipment to make eating safer and easier, proper positioning for a safe swallow, oral-motor and swallowing exercises, etc.

• Hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. Treatment to regain functional use of hands and arms. Treatment may include range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, coordination and dexterity activities, neuromotor re-education and modalities to decrease pain, stiffness, and swelling.

• Splinting and Braces. For immobilization, positioning or stretching of the upper extremity.

• Home safety evaluations. Making the persons home a safer environment and recommending special equipment that would improve a persons independence within their home, given their disability and individual needs.

• Instruction in work simplification/energy conservation techniques, joint protection, proper body mechanics, and ergonomics.

• Evaluating and recommending modifications to seating/positioning. Recommending or designing special seats, arms supports, head rests for wheelchairs or for other types of seating that a person uses throughout their day.

• Perceptual/Sensory evaluation and training. Enhancing sensory perception or making modifications due to a sensory loss such as lack of feeling in a hand, visual deficits or hearing deficits.

• Cognitive evaluation and training. Providing the person or caregivers with tools to help overcome thinking deficits such as schedules or checklists to assist memory problems, equipment and techniques to aid memory, teaching problem solving skills, etc.

• Vestibular Rehabilitation. Treatment involves exercises to improve or completely resolve problems involving dizziness and balancing deficits.

• Lymphedema and Venous Insufficiency Treatment. Reducing body fluid, most often from the arms and legs, through manual lymphatic drainage, compression therapy, remedial exercise and patient exercise. The goal is for the patient or their caregiver to learn how to self-manage or prevent edema (swelling) through home exercises and the wearing of compression garments.

A doctor’s referral is necessary for occupational therapy services.

Referrals and appointments can be made by calling Kim Dahlhauser, OTR/L, CLT at 515.295.2451 ext. 115. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.