11 May - Health. Occupational Therapy

We were joined on the line by Roshan Galvan - Senior lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of Cape Town. We were talking about Occupational therapy. This week is the Occupational Therapy Awareness Week. Occupational therapists are registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. The goal of occupational therapy is to assist the client to achieve a maximum level of function and independence in all spheres of life, namely work, social functioning, personal care and leisure activities. Occupational therapy looks at the client holistically addressing his physical, psychological and functional needs. Conditions that can be treated by Occupational Therapists include: Burns Amputations of limbs, Spinal cord injuries. Any injuries to the hand, Neurological conditions: Stroke, Head injuries, Parkinson’s disease, Psychiatric conditions etc. For more on Occupational Therapy you can contact the Occupational Therapy Dept at the University of Cape Town (021) 406 6041 or the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa at (011) 482 1000 alternatively you can visit www.otasa.org.za