Young Occupational Therapist Sees A Bright Future

By Nancy K. Crevier

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, “Occupational therapy helps people of all ages and abilities live life to its fullest. By taking the full picture into account — a person’s psychological, physical, emotional, and social makeup — occupational therapy enables people to achieve their goals, function at the highest possible level, concentrate on what matters most to them, maintain or rebuild their independence, and participate in everyday activities that bring meaning to their lives.”

Occupational therapists treat those affected by a range of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, arthritis, breast cancer, fractures, Parkinson’s, and stroke. While the month of April was dedicated to raising awareness of the highly specialized practice of occupational therapy, every month is Occupational Therapy Month to those in the practice.

Newtown resident Lauren Bonacci received her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Quinnipiac University in January 2008. While relatively new to the practice, she has worked at Westchester Medical Center in New York and is presently working per diem for Bethel Health Care and Danbury Hospital. She is enthusiastic about her job, and does not anticipate any tapering off of the enthusiasm as the years go by, she said.

“Occupational therapy is very rewarding,” said Ms Bonacci. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world. For every trying day that there is, there is one day that you help someone gain something or learn to do something that they never thought they would do again. It’s a great feeling,” she said. “People take for granted the everyday things that people with disabilities struggle with, and an OT [occupational therapist] can help.”

Many of the occupational therapists that she has met ended up in the profession because their lives or the lives of people they knew had been touched by the skills of an occupational therapist. For herself, it was a hand injury while a student at Newtown High School that required an occupational therapist’s help that propelled her into the field. “You see what can be done with occupational therapy,” said Ms Bonacci.

While there is a lot of collaboration between occupational therapists and physical therapists, many lay people do not understand the difference between the two professions, or realize the importance of occupational therapy, said Ms Bonacci. “OT makes physical therapy more function based,” she explained. “Can you get dressed, can you play, can you do the daily activities that you love? We look at the work ergonomics and at strengthening a person so as not to further injure an area. I like to say that physical therapy gets people up and walking, and occupational therapy gets patients to do something with that.”

Along with introducing people with physical disabilities to adaptive equipment that can ease daily living issues, such as how to put on socks if a person’s injury does not allow bending, or how to reach something up high without stretching a damaged muscle, occupational therapists also work on building confidence, said Ms Bonacci.

“Often if a person has had a heart attack or stroke, they are afraid to return to their previous activities. We get people to the level they were before the event, in a safe manner,” she said.

Mental health is an area addressed by the field of occupational therapy, as well, said Ms Bonacci. For those with mental addictions or psychiatric diagnoses, or for those who are reintegrating into society, an OT can assist with stress management techniques, money management, home care, self care, shopping, and medical management, she said.

An occupational therapist must also spend time evaluating each patient to determine what is meaningful to each individual’s life. For some, it is the ability to garden again, for others a return to hiking, or to operating heavy machinery on the job. It may begin with short-term goals that can grow into long-term goals, she said, and it is helping people regain their love of life that makes her job special, said Ms Bonacci. “I’ve heard it said that if you love your job, you never work a day in your life. Being able to help others with the simple things that give them great joy, and to bring their dreams to reality is wonderful,” she said. “I learn every day from the people I work with: little things about life. When I can help them do things a little more safely or return to activities, it is a great feeling.”

Recently, the Rehabilitation Services Department of Griffin Hospital in Derby located to the new Hewitt Ambulatory Care Pavilion adjoining the Center for Cancer Care at 350 Seymour Avenue in Derby, just in time to celebrate Occupational Therapy Month in April. The state-of-the-art facility includes a fully equipped gym and a full complement of therapeutic modalities. It joins numerous other hospitals and centers across the state that provide practical solutions to daily physical challenges.