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We've put together some of the more commonly asked

questions about occupational therapists and what we do.

Have a question that is not answered here? Connect with us

and we'd be happy to explain how our services and occupational

therapy works!


1.   What is Occupational Therapy? 
Occupational Therapists (OTs) are rehabilitation health professionals who study:

  • human physiology
  • anatomy
  • kinesiology
  • psychology
  • neurology
  • interaction of the individual with the environment and surrounding social structure


Our job is to understand the functional abilities of an individual and maximize this function so that he or she can complete the task safely and effectively. 
In order to do this, OTs learn to analyze tasks to determine exactly what the physical, mental  and environmental demands are.  Once the components of the task are understood, the skills required are compared to the abilities of the individual.  If a gap exists between an individual’s abilities and the demands of the task, the OT determines the task may be modified and/or if equipment may be used to facilitate task completion. 
Occupational therapy is often used reactively for clients who are injured and wish to return to a task; however proactive use of OT skills is becoming more common as employers become aware of cost savings related to injury prevention.

 2.  Why choose to work with an occupational therapist? 
Occupational Therapists are familiar with working with injured people.  In fact, all of the OTs consulting with Janzen Occupational Therapy Services have experience working in hospitals and rehabilitation centres.  Therefore, when a client in the community has difficulty with a workplace task related to a medical condition, such as arthritis, tendonitis or a neurological condition, or has an on-the-job injury, we know how to assess and provide recommendations for the client.  We can also provide advice on how to maintain health upon recovery and how to prevent a workplace injury from occurring again.   
As a rehabilitation professional, our specialty is task analysis.  This makes us the ideal choice for physical demands analysis and job task analysis.  Matching the abilities of the client or worker to the demands of the job is what occupational therapists are trained to do, and is also essentially the definition of ergonomics.   
Occupational Therapists are registered health care professionals and as such are held accountable for their work by a licensed governing body.  For more information, see acot.ca   
 
 3.  Why would a company request a physical demands analysis?
The physical demands analysis (PDA) describes a variety of tasks and physical demands to be completed but focuses on the maximum physical demands of the job.  A company might request a PDA for several reasons including:

  • A clear understanding of the physical demands of a job to ensure potential employees are fit for duty
  • If an employee is returning to work following a disability claim, the PDA can assist with determining if the employee is fit to return to work.
  • It is also very useful in identifying how a job can be adapted to accommodate any job restrictions
  • If a functional capacity evaluation is required to determine fitness for duty, the tasks to be evaluated can be identified easily in the PDA.


  4.  Do Occupational Therapists charge GST?​
Occupational therapists are a registered health care profession so do not charge GST for their services.

 

FAQ
Did you Know?

Many employer benefit plans cover all or part of the costs of occupational therapy, even for home assessments and personal use.  Ask your employer if your workplace offers coverage.


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            JOT Inc.

Janzen OccupationalTherapy Inc.