An occupational therapist helps injured and disabled patients regain their independence. Even though the career has occupational in the name, occupational therapists do not focus solely on getting people back to work. In fact, much of their time is spent developing treatment plans that help people live a normal life.
One interesting thing to note is that the treatment plans are tailored to each individuals’ needs. This means that the treatment for someone who lost strength in their arm might have physical exercises designed for them while someone else might have mental exercises developed to improve memory loss. Because each patient may require a completely new type of treatment plan, occupational therapists also design special equipment, write computer programs, and teach their patients how to use these tools.
More and more people need the services that an occupational therapist provides as the population ages. As you can imagine, occupational therapy is a fast growing field with excellent job prospects expected for many years. Anyone interested in this career should know that a master’s degree from an accredited school and a license to practice issued by their state is required to work as an occupational therapist.