Occupational therapist

Lifestyle modifications should be started early and continued throughout treatment because they may improve ADL, gait, balance, and mental health. The most common interventions include maintaining good nutrition, physical condition, and social interactions. Patients should avoid medications that block central dopamine, as they may worsen PD.1,18 A multidisciplinary approach using the expertise of nutritionists, speech therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers may optimize care but may not be covered by insurance. Patients should maintain regular visits with their optometrist or ophthalmologist and their dentist. The dentist should be informed that the patient has PD, as PD medications that decrease saliva flow may increase the risk of dental caries. 

Referral to a physical or occupational therapist may be helpful, particularly in patients with functional disabilities. Physical therapy is tailored to the patient and may include assessment of muscle strength, joint stability, and mobility use of heat (especially prior to episodes of increased physical activity) structured exercise regimens and implementation of assistive devices, such as canes, crutches, and walkers. The occupational therapist ensures optimal joint protection and function, energy conservation, and use of splints and other assistive devices. 

Unless the TBI has caused severe cognitive impairment (i.e., dementia), most patients after TBI can provide an accurate and insightful description of their physical and cognitive impairment. However, they often have less insight into the nature and severity of many of the common psychiatric symptoms that follow TBI. For this reason, the initial assessment should also include an interview with the patient s family members and friends, if they are available. Interviews with other health care providers (e.g., doctors, nurses, physical and occupation therapists) can also be extremely helpful. 

I was contacted at home by the Director of Social Services and asked to take on the added responsibility of organizing and leading on Disability until a new Principal Occupational Therapist (OT) was appointed. The Director stated that he was very comfortable with me doing this . Well, he might have been 1 was terrified, though I conceded. 

Disability Services, according to the Director, were a mess Waiting lists, he told me, were increasing and out of control , with many months waiting prior to an occupational therapist assessment, except for the highest priority cases (life and limb). There was low morale among staff and a lack of uniformity in practice. 

It is therefore clear that consumers need to be educated about the use of such medications and reminded that OTC products can produce substantial benefits and adverse effects. All health care providers, including physical therapists and occupational therapists, need to be in a position to help educate and counsel their patients about the benefits and drawbacks of such medications. While therapists should not directly prescribe or administer OTC products, therapists can provide information about the proper use and potential benefits of these medications. 

Physical and occupational therapists frequently encounter patients taking antipsychotics. Therapists employed in a psychiatric facility will routinely treat patients taking these medications. Therapists who practice in nonpsychiatric settings may still encounter these patients for various reasons. For instance, a patient on an antipsychotic medication who sustains a fractured hip may be seen at an orthopedic facility. Consequently, knowledge of antipsychotic pharmacology will be useful to all rehabilitation specialists. 

Physical and occupational therapists will encounter many patients who are receiving adrenal steroids for hormone replacement or for various other therapeutic reasons. This chapter discusses the biosynthesis of the adrenal steroids in an effort to show some of the structural and functional similarities between various... 

This chapter first discusses the physiologic role of the male hormones and the pharmacologic use of natural and synthetic androgens. The physiologic and pharmacologic characteristics of the female hormones are then addressed. As these discussions indicate, there are several aspects of male and female hormones that should concern physical therapists and occupational therapists. Rehabilitation patients may use these agents for approved purposes, for example, female hormones as contraceptives. These agents may also be... 

The purpose of this chapter is to review the normal physiologic roles of the pancreatic hormones and to describe the pathogenesis and treatment of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus has many sequelae that influence patients neuromuscular and cardiovascular functioning. Patients with diabetes mellitus often undergo physical rehabilitation for problems related to the condition. Consequently, the nature of diabetes mellitus and the pharmacotherapeutic treatment of this disease are important to physical therapists and occupational therapists. 

Physical therapists and occupational therapists may help reinforce the importance of patient compliance during pharmacologic management of diabetes mellitus. Therapists can question whether patients have been taking their medications on a routine basis. Regular administration of insulin is essential in preventing a metabolic shift toward ketone body production and subsequent ketoacidosis, especially in patients with type 1 diabetes. In addition, therapists can help explain that adequate control of blood glucose not only prevents acute metabolic problems but also seems to decrease the incidence of the neurovascular complications. 

This chapter describes the basic characteristics of viruses and the relatively limited number of drugs that can act selectively as antiviral agents. Methods of preventing viral infections (antiviral vaccines) are also briefly discussed. Finally, the current methods of treating a specific viral-induced disease—AIDS—are presented. Rehabilitation specialists often treat patients who are in the active stages of a viral infection, as well as those suffering from the sequelae of viral disorders, such as gastroenteritis, encephalitis, and influenza. Hence, the pharmacotherapeutic treatment and prophylaxis of viral infections should concern physical therapists and occupational therapists. 

Consequently, physical therapists and occupational therapists should keep abreast of advances in treating and preventing viral infections. This notion is especially true for the AIDS crisis, which promises to be a major health issue for some time. By keeping informed... 

Physical therapists and occupational therapists working with patients who have AIDS will frequently encounter patients taking systemic antifungal and antiprotozoal drugs. The use of these agents is critical in controlling parasitic infections in patients with AIDS and other individuals with a compromised or deficient immune system. 

As previously mentioned, physical therapists and occupational therapists also play a vital role in providing encouragement and support to the patient with cancer. This support can often help immeasurably in improving the patient s quality-of-life. 

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