Occupational Therapy for Case Managers: Helping Clients Achieve Holistic Wellness
As a case manager, your primary goal is to provide your clients with the best possible care and support. One key component of that care is ensuring that your clients are able to engage in meaningful activities that promote their physical and mental wellbeing. That’s where occupational therapy comes in. In this blog post, we’ll explore how occupational therapy can help case managers provide a holistic assessment of their clients’ needs, using a biopsychosocial framework that puts the client’s needs at the forefront of the intervention.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is a HCPC regulated healthcare profession that focuses on helping people achieve their goals and engage in activities that are meaningful and purposeful to them. Occupational Therapists work with clients across all ages – from children to older adults, and across a range of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centres, schools, workplaces and community-based organisations.
At its core, occupational therapy is all about promoting people to live their best lives in daily living activities and to encourage – part of this may be around supporting healthy lifestyle choices where the client identifies a need. We look at the client as a whole person, taking into account their physical, emotional, social, and environmental needs. Occupational Therapists use a biopsychosocial framework to guide their practice, which means that they consider not only the client’s medical diagnosis and physical abilities but also their psychological, emotional and social factors, as well as the cultural and environmental context in which they live.
How Can Occupational Therapy Help Case Managers?
As a case manager, you may be working with clients who have complex health needs and multiple comorbidities. You may be responsible for coordinating their care across different healthcare providers and settings, and ensuring that they have access to the services and resources they need to achieve their goals. Occupational therapy can play a key role in this process by providing a holistic assessment of the client’s needs, and identifying strategies and interventions that can support their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.
Here are some ways that occupational therapy can help case managers:
- Holistic Assessment: Occupational Therapists are experts in considering the needs of a whole person – physical, psychological, emotional, social, and environmental needs. This means that we can help case managers identify factors affecting care and rehabilitation and therefore develop a more complete picture of the client’s needs and develop the most effective care plan.
- Client-Centred Intervention: Occupational therapy is a client-centred profession, which means that the client’s needs and goals are at the forefront of the intervention. Occupational Therapists work collaboratively with clients to develop interventions that are tailored to their individual needs and goals, and that take into account their preferences, values, and cultural background. This client-centred approach can help case managers ensure that the care they are providing is aligned with the client’s goals and priorities.
- Expertise in Assistive Technology: Occupational Therapists are experts in assessing for major and minor aids, equipment, and adaptations that can help clients engage in meaningful activities and achieve their goals. This expertise can be particularly valuable for case managers who are working with clients who have physical disabilities or other challenges that impact their ability to perform daily activities. By working with an Occupational Therapist, case managers can ensure that their clients have access to the technology and equipment they need to achieve their goals.
- Collaboration with Other Healthcare Providers: Occupational Therapists work collaboratively with other healthcare providers, including Physicians, Nurses, Social Workers, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists, among others. This collaborative approach can help case managers ensure that their clients are receiving comprehensive care that addresses all aspects of their health and wellbeing.
Conclusion
Occupational therapy is a valuable resource for case managers who are looking to provide holistic, client-centred care to their clients. By working with an occupational therapist, case managers can ensure that their clients’ needs are being fully met.
Can Rehab Jigsaw help you with your case management delivery? We have a team of friendly, experienced and professional Occupational Therapists working with us across the UK. Contact us NOW for further information www.rehabjigsaw.co.uk info@rehabjigsaw.co.uk
