St. Lawrence Health (SLH) Occupational Therapy team members provide services to their patients in Gouverneur, Massena, and Potsdam. The highly skilled employees offer appointments in multiple locations to best meet the needs of their patients.
As National Occupational Therapy (OT) Month is celebrated in April, SLH Director of Physical Rehabilitation Naga Sunil Reddammagari explained Occupational Therapists take a holistic approach in caring for their patients, and are not to be confused with Physical Therapists.
“The main difference between OT and PT is the scope. Besides improving physical functioning, Occupational Therapists work on many kinds of social, emotional, and work-related situations. They assist to improve the daily activity performance of their patients,” he said.
The American Occupational Therapy Association defines an Occupational Therapist as someone who "helps people across their lifespan participate in the things they want and/or need to go through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations)."
OT may be recommended when a condition or illness affects a person’ ability to do various day-to-day tasks at home and/or work.
“The goal of OT is to help you live and function as independently as possible,” Mr. Reddammagari said. “Depending on the patient’s needs and the clinical judgment of the therapist, appointments may range from one to two times per week over several weeks.”
Occupational therapists provide services in a variety of areas, including productive aging for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, low vision, driving, and community mobility. They further assist patients for rehabilitation and disabilities, health and wellness, and work and industry.
“Occupational therapists are specifically trained, and all states require them to be licensed to practice in their field,” Mr. Reddammagari noted.
A medical provider’s referral is required to receive OT services. St. Lawrence Health offers Occupational Therapy at the Helen Snell Cheel Medical Campus, 49 Lawrence Avenue in Potsdam; the Physical Rehabilitation center, 269 Andrews Street in Massena; and on the main floor at Gouverneur Hospital, 77 West Barney Street, Gouverneur.
