Portneuf Medical Center - Pocatello, Idaho

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy services for pediatric and adult clients are available to address impairments in physical, psychological, and cognitive function. These impairments can be the result of developmental disorders, physical or mental illness, trauma and/or the normal processes of aging.

The term “occupation” refers to activities that are meaningful to an individual within their environment. Occupational therapy is the therapeutic use of self-care, work activities, and leisure activities to improve an individual’s independence, enhance development, and prevent disability. It includes adapting tasks and the environment to maximize independence and quality of life.

Services Offered

Activities of Daily Living Our therapists assist clients in returning to their highest level of function in basic self-care skills such as eating, bathing, toileting, dressing and grooming.

Community or Work Reintegration Therapeutic services are offered to clients who are experiencing difficulty in resuming work or developing new work and community-based roles (e.g., student, volunteer, parent).

Developmental Delay Our pediatric therapists are available to assess a child's developmental level and to provide activities in therapy that promote assimilation of normal developmental skills such as motor skills, feeding skills, visual motor or perceptual skills and cognition.

Driving Program Services are available by Certified Driving Specialists to evaluate driving skills of previously licensed drivers to determine the impact of physical or cognitive illness on driving safety. Training in the use of adaptive driving equipment is also available.

Energy Conservation and Work Simplification With the goal of improving overall endurance and ability to complete daily tasks independently, our therapists teach clients effective organizing and simplifying strategies that focus upon using one's energy in an efficient manner after illness or injury.

Hand Therapy Our therapists, working closely with the physicians, provide splinting and treatment post-surgery utilizing modalities for pain management in order to maximize overall hand function.

Home Safety Assessment This one-time assessment, completed in the client's home environment, is available to address safety concerns in the home, potential need for assistance or supervision, and/or recommendations for adaptive equipment or functional strategies to improve level of functioning. Caregiver training is also available.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living As the result of injury or illness, a client's function in household activities is sometimes compromised. Our therapists can assist in improving functional ability in the areas of cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, money management and other homemaking tasks.

Low Vision Treatment Under the direction of a low vision optometrist, treatment can include activities that maximize current vision, adaptive equipment training to compensate for diminished vision and/or home evaluations.

Lymphadema Management Management of the swelling associated with lymphatic fluid is accomplished by non-invasive procedures such as manual lymph drainage, compression bandaging, exercise and associated skin/nail care by therapists who are certified in these specialized techniques.

Sensory Integration Therapy Is a specialized type of therapy that has been found to be effective in some children who have difficulty with modulation or integration of their basic sensory systems. Sensory integration impacts their ability to attend and learn in a normal educational setting as well as independently complete other age-related activities successfully.

Splinting and Positioning Occupational therapists can provide orthotics that can ease discomfort and maximize function of the hand or arm following illness, injury or surgical procedures. They can also teach techniques and provide adaptive equipment for proper positioning of the body to promote healing and function.

Stress Management and Coping Strategies Occupational therapists are available to teach specific individualized stress management techniques and coping strategies to clients. These techniques may include education on relaxation techniques, specific problem-solving strategies or assertive communication.

Time Management and Daily Structuring Specific strategies are available to assist clients in organizing their daily schedules for efficient completion of daily tasks, compliance with appointments, reduction in stress and promotion of a healthy balance of life roles.