Occupational Therapy (OT)
Expert Occupational Therapists
Over seeing a client’s rehabilitation needs from hospital discharge and home assessment to promoting independence with activities of daily living, our Occupational Therapists take an active approach to rehabilitation.
All of our Occupational Therapists are registered with the British Columbia Society of Occupational Therapists (BCSOT) and the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC).
Below is a list of detailed services.
Our Services
Our Occupational Therapists are able to coordinate and oversee your client’s rehabilitation program from start to finish. This includes everything from assessing the client’s needs in the home and community to designing and overseeing home and community based rehabilitation programs.
Our Occupational Therapists will make recommendations regarding individualized active rehabilitation programs for clients recovering from a variety of injuries. This includes liaison with other medical professionals such as the family doctor or attending specialist and coordinating and overseeing the physical or cognitive rehabilitation program. These programs are run by our Registered Kinesiologists with input from the Occupational Therapists regarding the goals of the program, the client’s injuries and the recommended time frames for the program.
Assessment of the client’s needs in the home setting can include safety assessments and recommendations, equipment assessments, home support assessments, personal care assessments and home based rehabilitation assessments.
Once the assessment is complete, our Occupational Therapists will implement any services required.
Home based treatment by our Occupational Therapists is aimed at restoring the client’s ability to perform their activities of daily living (ADL) safely and independently.
Once a referral is received, our Occupational Therapists will communicate efficiently with the team of rehabilitation staff at the hospital to ensure the client’s smooth transition from the hospital setting to the home setting. This allows any necessary services such as personal care assistance and home safety equipment to be in place prior to the client’s discharge home.
BC Rebate for Accessible Home Adaptations (RAHA)
BC Rebate for Accessible Home Adaptations (RAHA) is a program that helps low-income seniors and people with disabilities finance home modifications to make your home more accessible and promote safe and independent living. Eligible homeowners, renters and landlords can receive up to $20,000 per home in the form of rebates.
How can an Occupational Therapist help? Our OT will assess your home, and determine what modifications or adaptations meet your specific needs. They will identify special equipment, design features and ways to make your home safer and more accessible.
Some key modifications that are assessed:
Entering / Approaching the home
- Approaching Exterior ramp
- Level uneven surfaces/widen exterior walkways
- Lever door handle
- Widen exterior door
Indoor Considerations
- Lower or raise counters to accessible height
- Replace unsafe flooring with non-slip vinyl flooring
- Lever door handles / faucets
- Hand railings (interior or exterior)
- Stairlift – (interior or exterior)
- Safety Bars
- Move electrical switch/outlet/thermostat to accessible height
- Widen interior doorway
- Ramps
- Multiple-cue fire/carbon-monoxide
Bathroom Adaptations
- Handheld showerhead
- Shower seat / tub transfer bench
- Convert tub to walk-in/wheel-in shower
- Raised toilet seat or bidet
Bedroom
- Bedroom Bed Assist Rail
- Ceiling transfer aid (lift, sling, overhead track, etc.)
Kitchen
- Drawer glide in base cabinet
- Kitchen hardware
- Assess kitchen layout
BC RAHA will provide you with a rebate of up to $250 for this Assessment, even if you do not qualify for the program or do not have any adaptations done. We would love to help you or your loved one remain safe at home as long as possible. If you would like more information, or to book an assessment, please contact us at 604-589-5994.
More information on the program and to see if you qualify, please visit:
Assessment of the client’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) including self care tasks, mobility, housekeeping activities, leisure activities, work activities and community management is provided by our Occupational Therapists. Re-training the client by breaking down the task into simple components, through the use of adaptive equipment and techniques, through education and through active rehabilitation helps to restore the client’s functional abilities to pre-accident status.
Our Occupational Therapists have knowledge and experience in the rehabilitation of clients with traumatic brain injuries and concussion. This includes education about brain injury and concussion, cognitive assessment, implementation of 1:1 cognitive rehabilitation programs, teaching of compensatory strategies and functional retraining such as community re-integration, integration back into the workplace and ADL re-training. Programs are designed specific to the injuries of each client.
At Home Program
The At Home Program is a government funded program that is designed to support children and teens with a severe disability or complex health care needs. Once you have completed your application for the program and are accepted, you are eligible for Occupational Therapy support.
How can an Occupational Therapist help? Our OT will meet with you and your child in your home and perform a comprehensive assessment to better understand your childs history and development. From here specific individualized goal setting is developed and a treatment plan is created for going forward. We then submit an application along with the determined goals to the Ministry of Children and Families - At Home Program for funding. Once approved, our OT will continue to meet with your child in your home and work on achieving the previously assessed goals.
Some goals may include:
- Improve fine motor grasp patterns, for example grasping a pencil, using a zipper, etc.
- Understand the value of healthy habits, for example healthy snacks and food choices, exercise, etc.
- Develop self care skills, for example preparing simple snacks, dressing, brushing teeth, etc.
- Improve perceptual cognitive development, for example completing puzzles, playing games, Math etc.
For more information on the At Home Program and to see if you qualify, please visit:
Autism Funding Program
The Autism Funding Program is a government funded program that is designed to support children and teens with autism. Autism funding helps pay for eligible services or supports that promote skill development for children living with autism. Once approved, Parents take the lead in prioritizing therapy goals for their child and deciding which services to use.
An Occupational Therapist can help Children:
- Participate in everyday activities such as play, dressing, grooming, feeding, sleeping, toileting, school readiness, printing, keyboarding, social skills, ability to cope and work
- Address motor, perceptional, social, or sensory challenges through skill development or by making changes to environmental factors
- Provide assessment, diagnosis and consultation
For more information on the Autism Funding program, please visit:
Details coming Soon
Backview of unrecognizable senior patient leaving the clinic on a wheelchair with his arms up
