Spotlight on Occupational Therapy Experience at ACR Homes

While ACR Homes attracts many employees who are nursing and PA students, there are other medical fields that benefit greatly from direct care experience at ACR Homes. Lauren, a direct care professional at the ACR Home on Dawn and a recent graduate of a master’s program in occupational therapy, gives valuable information about her occupational therapy experience at ACR relates to her OT program.

About Occupational Therapy

According to Lauren, occupational therapy is well known in rehabilitation, stroke care and pediatrics. In addition to these areas of patient care, home-based care with disabled adults presents unique opportunities to use occupational therapy experience. OT can help build skills in areas like eating and dressing independently which can help people with disabilities live as independently and with as much ease as possible. OT can also help individuals to sleep well, such as adjusting positions in bed, helping with nighttime positioning, and modifying nighttime routines and habits, which all help manage the transition to sleep.

Occupational Therapy Experience at ACR

Because of her time working at ACR Homes, Lauren has decided to specialize in helping people with developmental disabilities, something that was not on her radar previously. She says she has “gained valuable experience with individuals with disabilities….especially learning to communicate with individuals, staff, day programs, and guardians. There’s an army surrounding each individual and this job helped me learn to communicate with that network of people.”

But most of all, Lauren has learned to approach her work from a client-centered perspective, something that ACR seeks to teach each and every staff at all homes. Because of ACR, Lauren has decided she would like to do more home-based care as opposed to working in a traditional clinic setting. “There are so many restrictions in an OT clinic that can be overcome in a home study; OT can come in during staff meetings and offer advice and receive feedback.”

Occupational therapy attracts passionate people. It takes passion and innovation to create ideas that will benefit people with disabilities. It takes creativity and persistence to find solutions to problems that vulnerable adults face on a daily basis. These are the kinds of people that ACR attracts, equips, and sends off better prepared for their field.
“I feel 1000% more prepared for my field. I have had so much good experience [working at ACR on Dawn].”

Are you prepared for your field?