Occupational Therapy Assistant Job Description
Occupational therapy assistants provide occupational therapists with support in carrying out therapy and treatment sessions.
They educate patients about therapy procedures in a bid to help them understand what they must expect and also encourage patients before and during treatment procedures.
Not everyone can work as an occupational therapy assistant. You need to earn an associates’ degree in occupational therapy to become eligible for this position.
Working as an occupational therapy assistant can be quite rewarding as one gets to work directly with patients and see them integrate into society by virtue of the help that one has provided to them.
It does not mean that you get to assist with procedures only. You will also have to handle an occupational therapist’s practice in terms of the administrative work involved.
This may mean that you get to register patients, provide them with information on therapies, take insurance information, and also handle cash payments for services rendered.
What else will you be doing? There is a list of duties that you will be performing in this role!
Related: Occupational Therapy Assistant Cover Letter
Sample Job Description for Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
• Interview patients to take accurate medical histories
• Take and verify insurance information from patients
• Record patient demographic information in the database
• Provide patient information to an occupational therapist and assist in further interviewing patients
• Confer with the occupational therapist to determine the type of therapy or treatment required by patients
• Layout professional therapy plans in sync with each patient’s therapy or treatment needs
• Educate patients about impending therapy sessions in a bid to ease their apprehensions
• Set up therapy equipment and prepare treatment rooms before sessions
• Talk to patients during the preparation time in order to put their fears at ease
• Assist the occupational therapist in operating therapy equipment
• Ensure that all supplies and instruments are ready to use at the beginning of each session
• Assist patients in assuming their positions for treatment procedures
• Provide individual instruction to patients with learning, social or physical disabilities
• Teach patients the use of equipment that they need to use on an everyday basis
• Manage patients’ needs and activities during therapy procedures
• Observe patients for signs of deterioration or improvement and record information for occupational therapist’s review
• Confer with families and patients to provide information regarding the need for stopping, discontinuing, or changing therapy plans