Occupational therapy services for the homebound psychiatric patient

Abstract

The role of the occupational therapist in the treatment of psychiatric disorders has been greatly expanded over the years. As the treatment for psychiatric disorders has shifted to the home care setting, the need to develop a team approach to provide the most effective treatment for the patient and family has grown. Although occupational therapy services for patients with medical diagnoses have been offered for many years, the expertise of these professionals was for the most part overlooked when it came to providing services for psychiatric disorders. This article describes a 1-year pilot program that may serve as a model for any agency that provides services to patients with medically related emotional disorders or psychiatric diagnoses. Assessment descriptions and an interviewing tool are included.