Occupational Therapy

In late adulthood, individuals place great importance on their leisure time, often pursuing hobbies, interests, and opportunities for socialization. Leisure activities may include quiet recreation such as reading or crafts, active recreation such as travel or community outings, and socialization such as visiting with friends and family. Many older adults have hobbies which they have participated in throughout their lives and may now have difficulty completing due to new physical or cognitive limitations. For example, knitting can become difficult as a result of pain experienced from arthritis in the hands. An occupational therapist can facilitate a hand therapy program to improve the range of motion and strength of the client's hands or adapt the knitting needles so the client is able to continue knitting. Spending time with family often plays a meaningful role in an individual's life. Occupational therapy is beneficial in providing suggestions to allow a client to interact with family or friends. For example, a therapist might suggest adapting a telephone for an individual with a vision impairment to facilitate communication with family members.