What Are The Different Occupational Therapy Practice Settings?

Occupational therapy services can be provided in various settings to help people of all ages, depending on the needs and goals of the individual. Here are some of the different practice settings where OT practitioners may work:

Skilled Nursing Facility: Residential facilities that provide 24-hour nursing care, medical supervision, and rehabilitation services for recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery. 

Assisted Living Facility: Residential facilities that assist with ADLs, such as bathing, dressing, and grooming, and IADLs, such as cooking, cleaning, and managing medications, for individuals who need support to live independently. 

Subacute Rehabilitation: Designed to provide short-term intensive rehabilitation services to help individuals regain their independence and improve their ability to perform daily activities. 

Schools: Provided in a school setting for students who require support to participate in educational activities and meet academic goals. 

Home Health:  Provided in a patient’s home for individuals who cannot leave home due to illness, disability, or other health-related conditions.

Hospital (Acute, Inpatient, NICU): Provided in a hospital setting for individuals requiring rehabilitation services during hospitalization.

Outpatient (Pediatric, Hand/UE Orthopedics): Provided in a clinical setting, typically outside a hospital or other inpatient facility, for individuals who require therapy to address specific conditions or impairments.

Early Intervention: Provided to infants and young children at risk for developmental delays or disabilities.

Community-Based:  Provided in the community to help individuals participate in daily activities and roles.

Mental Health:  Specialized area of occupational therapy that focuses on helping individuals with mental health conditions improve their functional abilities and achieve their goals. 

Palliative Care/Hospice: Specialized area of occupational therapy that focuses on helping individuals with severe or life-limiting illnesses to maintain their functional abilities and quality of life. 

Academia: Field of occupational therapy that involves teaching and research in academic settings, such as universities and colleges. 

Private Practice: Field of occupational therapy in which practitioners work independently in their personal practice settings. 

Occupational therapy services can be provided in various settings to meet individual’s unique needs and goals to engage in meaningful occupations. 

As I have written in my previous blog post about who benefits from OT services, I have some experience working in different settings. Based on all those experiences, I now have decided to work with the geriatric population as a home health OT. I chose the home health setting because I like the flexibility of scheduling, being one-on-one with the patient, and being creative to target their goals to be independent in their homes or own space. 

How about you? What settings have you worked in as an OT, and which setting do you like to work at? Why? Kindly share it in the comment section below!

Thank you for reading! Continue to adapt to change and enjoy life!