SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ―During National Occupational Therapy Month each April, Regional West recognizes the occupational therapists (OTs), who play such a vital role in the Rehab Center. Using purposeful and meaningful daily activities that fill a person’s time or his or her ‘occupation,’ OTs work with patients who have lost independence due to an illness, disease, or trauma.

Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities participate fully in school and social situations, assisting people recovering from injury to regain necessary skills, and providing support for older adults who are experiencing physical and cognitive changes.

Conditions aided by occupational therapy include: hand trauma, injury, and musculoskeletal injuries; neuro-rehab patients from children to adults; post-mastectomy patients or patients undergoing cancer treatment; work injuries; and people who are lacking independence in their home.

“Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment and/or task to fit the person. It is an evidence-based practice deeply rooted in science,” said Theresa Olson, OTR/L, Occupational Therapy Manager at the Rehab Center.

For more information about occupational therapy options at Regional West, contact the Rehab Center at 308-630-1355, or visit https://www.rwhs.org/services/rehabilitation-pain/rehab-center/occupational-therapy.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.