occupational therapist

Occupational therapists assist individuals or groups who have occupational limitations due to diseases, physical disorders, and temporary or permanent mental disabilities, in regaining their ability to perform daily activities. They provide treatment and rehabilitation to enable them to actively participate in society, to live their lives according to their wishes and to perform those activities that are meaningful to them. Occupational therapists work in public health and social care services, but can also be involved in supporting asylum seekers, refugees and/or homeless people.

Alternative Labels

activity therapist

ergotherapist

expert occupational therapist

expert practitioner of occupational therapy

occupational therapist

practitioner of occupational therapy

rehabilitation counsellor

rehabilitation therapist

specialist in occupational therapy

specialist occupational therapist

vocational rehabilitation counsellor

Regulatory Aspect

To see if and how this occupation is regulated in EU Member States, EEA countries or Switzerland please consult the Regulated Professions Database of the Commission. Regulated Professions Database:

http://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/services/free-movement-professionals/qualifications-recognition_en

Skills & Competences

Essential Skills and Competences

advise healthcare users on occupational health advise on environmental alterations advise on healthcare users' informed consent apply context specific clinical competences apply techniques of occupational therapy assess risks for the elderly assist healthcare users achieve autonomy communicate in healthcare comply with legislation related to health care comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice contribute to continuity of health care create individual treatment programmes deal with emergency care situations develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship develop a rehabilitation programme educate on the prevention of illness educate patient's relations on care empathise with the healthcare user encourage healthcare user's self-monitoring ensure safety of healthcare users follow clinical guidelines identify the healthcare user’s personal capacity inform policy makers on health-related challenges instruct on the use of special equipment for daily activities interact with healthcare users manage healthcare users' data monitor patients' progress related to treatment perform occupation analyses perform patient activity analyses promote inclusion provide assistive technology provide health education record healthcare users' progress related to treatment remediate healthcare user's occupational performance respond to changing situations in health care undertake healthcare examination use computer programs to improve patients' skills use e-health and mobile health technologies use techniques to increase patients' motivation work in a multicultural environment in health care work in multidisciplinary health teams

Essential Knowledge

community-based rehabilitation ergonomics general medicine geriatrics health care legislation health care occupation-specific ethics human anatomy human physiology hygiene in a health care setting medical informatics medical terminology movement techniques neurology occupational physiology occupational science occupational therapy theories orthopaedics paediatrics pathology physical medicine professional documentation in health care psychiatry psychology sociology supervision of persons vocational rehabilitation

Optional Skills and Competences

assist children with special needs in education settings assist in performing physical exercises ensure proper appointment administration identify research topics manage occupational therapy students provide early intervention therapy to infants use clinical assessment techniques use foreign languages for health-related research use foreign languages in patient care

Optional Knowledge

bobath therapy disorders affecting self-awareness first aid mechanotherapy neuropsychology osteopathy pedagogy psychotherapy principles public health

Concept URI

Concept Uri

http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/33da5532-8c4e-4d1b-b52e-c201ee1bc7ab

Status

released

Occupations