Palmetto Health Baptist Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy provides care to patients ranging in age from neonates (babies) to geriatrics (adults) in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Neonates are treated only as inpatients. These patients may have cognitive, movement, and/or functional limitations.

Providing about 1,000 patient treatments per month, the occupational therapy department strives to maintain and incorporate their mission statement into every facet of work.

Occupational therapy services is dedicated to delivering quality care to assist in the recovery, rehabilitation, and health promotion of all patients. This includes meeting the physical, psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs of our patients and their families while incorporating the nursing and rehabilitative process.

Quality performance improvement is the responsibility of all staff members. The director, clinical managers, and clinical nurse specialist stress quality assessment. Improvement teams receive input from a variety of sources and are responsible for reviewing data and opportunities, assessing needs and prioritizing action plans.

1). Hand Therapy

2). Lymphedema: this service is especially important to patients whose lymphatic system becomes damaged during treatment for cancer. Breast cancer patients often are victims of lymphedema. With help, the therapist brings the swelling, caused by radiation therapy or the surgical removal of lymph nodes, under control through a series of massages and teaches them how to continue to manage the swelling in the future.

3). Acute Care: for patients who have just had surgery or have developed an acute illness and are inpatients for three to five days, such as patients who have undergone orthopedic surgery, spinal fusion, hip replacement or are being treated for neurological conditions.

4). Subacute Care: for patients who have had surgery within the past five days and are anticipated to be inpatients for two to three weeks. Occupational therapy teaches the basic skills for the activities we do each day. Those activities could include bathing, dressing, grooming, cooking and homemaking. Each of these patients must learn to be as independent as their discharge environment demands.

5). Low Vision Rehabilitation
Occupational Therapy can help you cope with low vision and increase the independence you value by helping you learn to see in different ways.

The specialists at Palmetto Health Baptist are experienced in helping seniors understand and adapt to impaired vision. Because everyone ’s eyes are as individual as they are, we evaluate and assess loss of vision and customize a plan based on each person’s goals and activities.

By assessing the home structure and environment, low vision rehabilitation can help improve safety and prevent falls. And, with the help of adaptive equipment such as magnifiers, large print checks, books, telephones and even talking watches, seniors can learn to compensate for loss of vision and continue with their daily routines.

In just four to eight sessions, most clients experience an increased level of independence.

What is low vision?
Low vision limits an individual’s safety and independence. It makes even the most basic daily activity a struggle—like putting toothpaste on
a toothbrush or navigating the aisles in the grocery store. Whether caused by diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration or stroke, low vision can’t be helped by standard methods such as glasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery. There is no cure and the loss is permanent. Thankfully, Palmetto Health Baptist Occupational Therapy can help.

Indication of a Visual Functional Deficit
(adapted from the National Eye Institute VFQ-25)

Using your glasses or contacts do you have difficulty:

1. Reading medicine bottles, food labels, or a phone book?
2. Recognizing people when they are close to you, or seeing how people react to what you say?
3. Seeing steps, stairs, or curbs?
4. Writing checks or filling out forms?
5. Pouring liquids, setting the oven dials, using the microwave, or cutting food?
6. Identifying coins or bills?
7. Eating neatly, matching clothes, clipping nails, or putting toothpaste on your toothbrush?
8. Identifying your medication or reading the label?
9. Performing your hobbies, such as sewing, reading, crocheting, or woodwork?
10. Fixing things around the house, or using hand tools?
11. Finding an item on a crowded shelf?
12. Noticing objects to the side when you are walking?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you may have a functional deficit due to a visual impairment. Ask your eye care provider what can be done to help you. An occupational therapist may be able to assist you to regain your independence by teaching you how to use your remaining vision most effectively or to compensate for vision loss.

Strategies to enhance daily life
Is your low vision causing difficulties with daily activities such as:
• Safely walking up stairs, along curbs or through doorways
• Reading medicine bottle labels
• Preparing meals
• Recognizing the familiar faces of family and friends
• Writing checks for daily purchases
• Identifying coins and bills
• Watching television
• Enjoying hobbies such as needlework or carpentry
• Managing diabetic equipment

Getting the help you need
Call your ophthalmologist, optometrist or primary care physician for a prescription for Occupational Therapy Low Vision services.Then call us at (803) 296-5486 to set up an appointment. We can help you make the most of your vision.

Family Education
The occupational therapy staff also teaches families how to help their patient recover through:

Learning home exercise programs
Learning how to safely lift someone from a chair
Learning how to safely move someone
Learning how to safely enter and exit a car