Occupational Therapy

Patient Care – What to Expect

We see patients of all ages and most of our therapists have over a decade of experience. Our care team has been honored with awards like Best Doctors in America and Top Doctors in Charlotte, underscoring our ability to help patients like you. When you choose our team, you’ll benefit from:

• Custom treatment: We’ll work with you and your doctors to understand your condition and create an occupational therapy plan tailored to your specific needs.
• Care from an expert team: Our inpatient and outpatient therapists work together to maximize your rehabilitation and healing. If your care starts in the hospital, we’ll develop a care plan that helps you recover during your stay, and then lines up with the therapy you’ll receive when you go home.
• Comprehensive resources: It’s natural to feel anxious after your occupational therapy is finished and to wonder what’s next. We’re here to point you in the right direction by connecting you with local gyms, community fitness programs and our Adaptive Sports & Adventures Program.

What We Treat

Our occupational therapists aim to help you overcome injuries and illnesses and get back to your daily activities. We treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Amputations
• Brain or stroke injuries
• Burns
• Childbirth injuries
• Chronic conditions such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis
• Fractures or other injuries from falls
• Learning problems or developmental disabilities
• Physical weakness after prolonged hospitalization for conditions like pneumonia or COVID-19
• Repetitive stress injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Sports injuries or accidents
• Vision or cognitive problems
• Work-related injuries

Occupational Therapy Treatments

We’ll tailor therapy to meet your exact goals and needs, from getting back to work, to moving more comfortably around your home. We support patients with:

Inpatient Therapy

During your stay at Atrium Health, our occupational therapists will get you ready to return to life outside the hospital. Our therapists help you relearn daily activities in specialized facilities — including a therapeutic apartment that’s equipped with a kitchen, living room and bathroom. This gives you a place to practice real-life skills, so you can feel safe and confident when you go back home.

Outpatient Therapy

We’ll work with you to help you feel comfortable getting back to daily activities like grocery shopping and driving. Therapy includes:

• Practicing everyday tasks: Our team uses our therapeutic apartment to help you practice activities like using kitchen equipment, making a bed and navigating the bathroom.
• Driving skills evaluations: We’ll do a 2-hour assessment to determine if it’s safe to drive again after your illness or injury. This includes a thorough review of your driving history and an assessment of your physical strength and skills. We can also teach patients to use modified vehicles that have a left accelerator or hand controls.
• Vision support: If you’re experiencing double vision or vision loss, we can come to your home and make sure everything is set up for you to get back to daily life, regardless of how well you can see.

Your Care Team

Our specialists work together to help you or your loved one before, during and after treatment. Our care team includes:

• Physical therapists who specialize in helping you improve your mobility, get stronger and decrease your pain.
• Recreational therapists who are dedicated to improving or maintaining your physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual wellness.
• Speech therapists who can prevent, assess and diagnose speech and communication issues.
• Social workers who support families by helping them find financial assistance, connecting them with support groups and more.