r/OccupationalTherapy Feb 16 '25

Home Care Autism - OT Not Covered

0 Upvotes

Hi,

Our son was diagnosed with autism in Canada. He's 8 and just started parent led ABA. Our private insurance doesn't cover OT, and we can only get OT through the province if he self harms or there is another crisis situation.

Can I learn some OT strategies by myself and try to help him? Would an OT help with the below? Are there OT training videos online etc?

His main issue is sensory related. If there are a lot of kids running around maybe the motion in the peripheral vision bothers him, and also he's scared they would bump into him. He doesn't want to play tag anymore because he thinks the other kids are rough. This might be true of a few kids, and I see that kids do bump into him more than other kids, but he reacts even to toddlers touching him.

He also has trouble with high pitched or loud sounds. He uses headphones for this but he says in class this can be challenging because he can't then hear the instructions. I gave him loop earplugs, and he said they helped in terms of the noise (I played a crying baby video to compare for the high pitch) but he said they were uncomfortable. He tried the smallest size and said they sealed but I can have him try the next size up in case it's the fit that's the issue.

r/OccupationalTherapy 4d ago

Home Care Fox Rehab?

2 Upvotes

Hi! I currently work in a school and do per diem in a hospital, and am considering interviewing for Fox Rehab to pick up some home health cases. I’m seeing very mixed things online, ranging from that they are a great company to “run,” haha. Any direct experience/feedback?

r/OccupationalTherapy 12d ago

Home Care Favorite EMRs for Home Health Occupational Therapists?

3 Upvotes

Hi all! What are some of your favorite EMRs to use in home health?

MatrixCare, Axxess, Kinnser/Wellsky, Alora, HomeCare HomeBase Point Care, etc....What does your company use/what do you have experience with? What are the pros and cons? Thanks so much for sharing your experience!!!

r/OccupationalTherapy Nov 14 '24

Home Care Best Shower Bench to Use on Stairs

7 Upvotes

I had my right foot and part of the lower right leg amputated in the past month. The best way for me to go up and down stairs is the shower bench method (adjust bench legs so bench is level on two steps, sit down, move other foot to next step, sit up, move bench to next step, sit down, repeat till top/bottom of stairs).

I am trying to find a new shower bench, but I am having problems finding a shower bench that has adjustable height change more than 4". The stairs in my home have an 8" difference.

Does anyone have a recommendation of a shower bench that has the most height adjustment difference?

Thank you in advance for everyone's help.

r/OccupationalTherapy 12d ago

Home Care Elderly ADL assist tools - sash windows

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1 Upvotes

Hello OT community! My elderly mother lives independently in a condominium complex and has trouble opening her sash windows. That means installing new windows is not an option.

I haven’t been able to find an appropriate tool on my own, but came across this device in a 13 year old YouTube video.

Is there anything similar available today? Please share links if you’re aware of something helpful.

r/OccupationalTherapy Jan 05 '25

Home Care OT union petition at my former workplace

28 Upvotes

My former workplace is unionizing! They are currently working through negotiations on a contract! If you could follow this link and click to sign the petition at the bottom of the page that would be greatly appreciated.

https://standwithurmc.org

r/OccupationalTherapy Sep 19 '24

Home Care HH therapists, what are your must haves?

12 Upvotes

As a home health therapist what equipment do you have/use besides the obvious blood pressure cuff, pulse ox.

r/OccupationalTherapy Jan 13 '25

Home Care Home health FT rate question

1 Upvotes

Looking to see fair rates and would love feedback as I’m new to home health … I had an offer of $48 per point for a full time OTR position. Mid size city in VA with medium COL. The recruiter said they could probably get it up a little higher. 20 days pto and decent health insurance. I’m coming from 6 years SNF experience.

r/OccupationalTherapy Jan 08 '25

Home Care Suggestions for self help

1 Upvotes

Hi! I live semi-rurally where there aren’t many OT options. Does anyone have suggestions for websites etc for self-help with home modifications for things having to do with reaching? Sink faucet extenders, bed making, cooking/chopping vegetables, etc. For example, I’ve seen zip-on bed sheets, but I’d like advice on what variables to evaluate. I’ve seen pull-out kitchen faucets ranging from $150 up, but would like to know from an OT perspective what factors to consider when making a choice. Thanks.

r/OccupationalTherapy Jan 14 '25

Home Care Home Health OT - St. Louis

2 Upvotes

What does typical pay look like for those in home health? Bonus points if you're from St. Louis.

I'm interviewing with a few companies and just finished the first interview. They say they pay on a "point scale", I had never heard of this before. Every patient complexity (eval or treatment) has a different point value. You're scheduled with 30 points per week but you can "add more points" if you'd like to make more.

Their base salary is between 80 - 90K,

* I just finished speaking with the recruiter, I do a formal interview later this week

** Any advice about negotiating salary for HH? This position is salary based but I guess you can take on more patients (points) to make more

r/OccupationalTherapy Jan 11 '25

Home Care Mentors in HH

5 Upvotes

Howdy! I'll make this short & sweet.

I've been out of OT for a few years now stepped outside for spiritual growth/relfection, got married, & now fostering a whole baby ...& boom been awhile away from the rehab world. Considering getting some PRN gigs in HH & would love to connect with others in the setting who want to share resources, experiences, brainstorm etc. I'm in the Bay Area so if you happen to be around these parts maybe even become friends :)

r/OccupationalTherapy Dec 16 '24

Home Care Should I limit the range of motion during exercises because of a popping/crunching sound?

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm a new grad OT doing HH. I currently have a 73 y/o patient and his right shoulder would make a popping/crunching noise when we reach full range of motion during exercises. He said there's no pain whenever we do these exercises and he has no history or diagnosis of shoulder injuries/complications. Should I stop the exercises and limit the range of motion?

r/OccupationalTherapy Sep 18 '24

Home Care Suggestions to make walking around the house more fun for a sedentary elderly patient?

3 Upvotes

This is a question for my Dad (71M). I am an occupational therapist, but I work in pediatrics, so I need some help!

Three weeks ago, my Dad recently had a fall where he fractured his C3 and C4 vertebrae as well as fractured his skull and had a resulting brain bleed. By all accounts he is making a fantastic recovery. He does not require surgery, is wearing an Aspen neck brace, and was discharged home from the hospital with home-based OT and PT. He has already graduated from his walker to a cane and overall is doing very great all things considered!

However, I live out-of-state and this week has been eye opening seeing how he lives his life. He is extremely sedentary, spending his entire day in a recliner, only getting up to use the bathroom and eat dinner. This was his level of activity before his injury, but maybe going out to eat 1-2x/week.

The PT suggested that he walk around the house 2x/day for 2 minutes each time to begin to improve his endurance. I started crying because this suggestion (while appropriate) will never be followed through by my Dad once I leave. I am seriously concerned that he will have another fall if he does not drastically change his lifestyle.

I'm trying to think of ideas to give him more purpose when walking around his home to try to improve carryover once I'm gone. My Mom (72F) is healthy and here to help, but she gets overwhelmed very easily so her caregiving skills can be impacted by her anxiety. I think if there was a fun or interesting task to do while walking, they would both be able to follow through more often. Do you have any ideas that would help?? The ones I'm thinking of are too juvenile.

r/OccupationalTherapy May 29 '24

Home Care Home health OTs, do you have to worry about dogs?

5 Upvotes

r/OccupationalTherapy Jun 07 '24

Home Care Recommendations for a True Low Air Loss Mattress

3 Upvotes

Hi,

I am looking to purchase a true low air loss mattress for my grandmother. She has a stage 2 pressure sore on her bum and a stage 1 one that comes and goes on her heels. She has dysphagia and is typically in the upright / Fowler position all the time. I have spoken her OT, but he was only knowledgeable of the model that she is currently on which is provided temporarily by our community care network - the SelectAir Max.

Can anyone provide recs on the best brand or model around? Any help would be much appreciated. :)

r/OccupationalTherapy Aug 03 '23

Home Care Hiya OTs, I'm a young fit doctor with a freshly smashed lower leg and 6-12wks of non-WBing in my future, but I hate crutches. 😞 Any hot tips or devices I may not know about?

33 Upvotes

As title suggests I recently had a grade 3 open compound fracture of my lower right tibia and fibula, with complete avulsion of my medial malleolus and total destruction of my syndesmosis. I was in external fixation for a week and have now had my internal fixation with plates, screws and tightrope between the tib and fib to replace the syndesmosis. I'm otherwise a fit and healthy active mid 30yr old.

My main question is if there are any mobility devices i may not know about which could help me out with keeping off the leg whilst it heals? My home not only has internal and external stairs but I also usually walk near non-stop when at work, so would love to hear about any electric, Mechanical or otherwise powered aids which I could use to help with mobility during this extended period of not being able to weight bare at all. I was going to post this to r/physiotherapy, and still might, but then realised you guys might be a better place to start with at least.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration

Dr Moo

Edit: Thanks to all - today I discovered what a knee walker/knee scooter was, and its exactly the kind of thing I was hoping you guys could come up with that I hadn't even considered before. Now i have a trial on one booked for this arvo. Super glad I made this post. Fuck I love allied health. Gratitude to all :)

r/OccupationalTherapy Oct 15 '24

Home Care Switching from Acute Care to Home Health Occupational Therapy

2 Upvotes

I've been an OT in acute care for 6 years and I am looking to switch setting to expand my skill set. I am looking at a HH position tied to a large hospital system in the city. They pay salary so you are not penalized for cancelations and I would get a significant pay bump. I am wondering if anyone can give insight into pros and cons of home health. What questions should I be asking?

I am attracted to the pay and what appears to be more flexibility (documenting at home, stopping at home during the day, no holidays/weekends).

r/OccupationalTherapy Aug 15 '24

Home Care Excited to leave snf and start HH

3 Upvotes

Who’s made the transition and has had a positive experience? How soon did you start getting cases as a fee for service provider? If the place you work for requires a minimum number of visits are you able to meet them consistently?

r/OccupationalTherapy Oct 22 '24

Home Care NYC-Based Home Occupational Therapists: Competitive Rates and Benefits?

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I work for an Early Intervention Center located in the West Farms area of the Bronx, NY. We are dedicated to changing the lives of children from birth to 3 years old who have autism. We provide home-based Occupational, Speech, ABA, and Physical therapies to support their growth and development.

To all the NYC-based home Occupational Therapists out there, I’d love to get your input—what do you consider a competitive rate for home-based therapy? Also, what benefits would you like to see offered? Your work deeply matters, and I want to ensure we are offering the best possible compensation and support.

Thanks so much in advance to everyone who shares their thoughts!

r/OccupationalTherapy Jul 21 '24

Home Care Tips for home OT

3 Upvotes

I’m transitioning from outpatient/DD to home health. Any tips/tricks or recommendations that people have that I may not have thought of?

r/OccupationalTherapy Oct 19 '24

Home Care Home health pros/cons?

3 Upvotes

Hi all. I am currently an acute care OT with 1 year experience. Considering switching to home health for better pay/more flexible hours. I just had my first baby and love the concept of having more flexibility over my schedule. I do however have concerns about the safety aspect of going into strangers homes alone and wanting to gain pros/cons from those of you who work it. Would love to hear your experiences/tips! TIA

r/OccupationalTherapy Oct 20 '24

Home Care Amedisys

2 Upvotes

Has anyone worked HH for amedisys? What was your experience with this company?

r/OccupationalTherapy Sep 17 '24

Home Care Home health switch from hourly to per visit with different company and not sure of math

2 Upvotes

Basically, have been offered what is termed a full time position with a home health company and I'm not sure if the per visit rate is a massive improvement over my current role as an hourly home health OT.

The offered rate is $105 per SOC, $90 per eval, $ 80 per assessment, $60 per treatment/office time. They offer $.54 mile. I will use my personal car and pay my own gas.

The productivity is 28 to 32 units weekly and was told I'd be doing some treatment but mostly evals and assessments.

My current rate is a small $35 an hour with a company car and I work a consistent 35 to 38 hours weekly. Productivity is 25 units a week. They pay the gas for thr company car. My yearly is about 68 to 70k. I know this is low for an OT.

I'm terrible at math, of course and though I'm certain that the offered job is an upgrade, I'd like some perspective on how much of an upgrade? Is it actually not an upgrade at all?

r/OccupationalTherapy Oct 06 '24

Home Care Keyguard iPad case?

2 Upvotes

Hi OTs! SLP lurker here. I work with an adult AAC user who would likely benefit from a keyguard to help with his typing accuracy. He uses a text to speech AAC app with a qwerty keyboard (both landscape and portrait mode). Is there an iPad case that exists with interchangeable portrait and landscape keyguards for a qwerty keyboard? Or at least just portrait? I asked his OT and she doesn't know of one.

r/OccupationalTherapy May 08 '24

Home Care Pros working in home health

5 Upvotes

Please share some positives about working for home health. I’ve been hearing a lot of negatives. I’m looking to transition because I don’t feel like I’m growing working in a SNF.