In-Home skilled occupational therapy services can include
Rehabilitative and Habilitative Occupational Therapy (OT) Services for Adults
Transfer Training and Injury Prevention for Caregivers
Home Safety and Modification Recommendations
Equipment and assistive devices for adaptive strategies and improved safety
Personalized Exercise Programs including Strength and Balance Training, Tai Chi, Gentle and Chair Yoga, and Meditation.
Fall prevention and Management
Stress and Anxiety Management
Equipoise Occupational Therapy offers direct patient care services and/or consultative services using Skills2Care for the caregivers of people living with dementia.
Skills2Care is an evidence-based, specialized program for caregivers of persons living with dementia. Through customized and individualized sessions delivered within the home or by telehealth to the caregiver, specific challenge areas in providing care to the person with dementia are identified. The Occupational Therapist then works with the caregiver to devise strategies and recommendations for supporting positive communication, engagement in self-care routines, and addressing specific problem areas encountered when providing care. With the goal of reducing stress for both the person with dementia and the caregiver, stress and behavior management strategies are taught and provided to the caregiver.
Examples of challenging behaviors demonstrated by the person with dementia include:
Wandering without direction
Shadowing (following closely) a caregiver/person from room to room
Hallucinations/Delusions (believing somebody is within the home, or trying to get in)
Agitation and restlessness
Incontinence challenges
Verbal and/or Physical Aggression and outbursts
Declining Hygiene/Self Care Habits
Refusing Help or Care from caregivers
Benefits of the Skills2Care program for caregivers include:
Customized program lasting 2-10 weeks for managing specific caregiving challenges and stressors
Transfer training for caregivers for injury prevention
Methods of improving communication among person with dementia and caregiver
Stress reduction techniques for caregivers
Environmental modifications or enhancements to promote ease in daily routines
Sensorimotor based activities and modalities
Mind-body movement practices
Tamasin has experience working with different types of Dementia including:
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Alzheimer's Disease
Vascular dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Lewy body dementia
Parkinson's dementia
Skills2Care can be integrated into a Plan of Care for an individual receiving outpatient skilled OT services under Medicare B with MD referral. Skills2Care can also be billed direct to caregiver for direct consultative services to caregiver, without direct care provided to the person with dementia.