Occupational Therapy Assistant Job Description
Published - September 24, 2014
At CBD, we do more than help prepare you for careers in various fields; we also help you learn more about the degree program you have chosen, in addition to job descriptions and job requirements for positions within that field. This also applies to anyone enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate’s Degree Program at CBD. We not only work to help prepare you for your certification and career, but we work to help you understand what will be required of you from your employers once you enter the occupational therapy career field.
What will I Do?
What you do will more than likely depend on where you work. Every healthcare institution will vary, in regards to the types of tasks they ask you to perform; however, most will pertain to helping patients improve, develop, or recover the basic skills that are a part of daily living. This includes helping a patient with:
- Computers
- Exercising
- Eating
- Cooking
- and more…
In an effort to access a patient’s progress, an occupational therapy assistant will sometimes be required to plan activities for a patient, as well as analyze his work spaces – this may require you to stay in contact with the patient’s employer.
There are different types of equipment that you will work with as you assist patients; therefore, it may be a part of your job description to maintain the facility equipment. This includes cleaning and retaining the equipment. You could also be required to order new materials for the healthcare facility, in addition to placing orders for new equipment.
Ultimately, your job is to assist the occupational therapist that you work under.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Work Environment
Your employer will generally inform you of the work schedule once you interview – or once you are offered the position. As an occupational therapist assistant, you could work on a full or part-time basis; however, this will vary from job-to-job. It is the duty of the therapist and her assistant to accommodate the patient’s schedule, which is why some occupational therapy assistants are required to work during the evenings, as well as on weekends. This will also depend on your employer.
Again, the facility or organization that you work with will generally determine what your job description is. The top five places that occupational therapy assistants work in include:
- Hospitals
- Home Healthcare Service Providers
- Offices of Occupational Therapists
- Nursing Home Facilities
- Educational Service Providers
Now that you know a little more about the occupational therapy assistant job description, it is time for you to get the ball rolling on your career. Start the process today by contacting CBD to speak with a representative pertaining to our Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate’s Degree Program.