What is Occupational Therapy for Adults?
Here you’ll learn what is occupational therapy for adults. You can also find an adult rehab OT near you!
Occupational therapy helps people with a health condition change your habits to change your health. We do this through partnering with you to understand your circumstances, set health goals, and carry out a plan to accomplish them. Occupational therapy services can be delivered by occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs).
Our overarching hope is to make a real difference in your day-to-day life.
Where to find an OT who works with adults
If you are reading this post, there is a good chance that you are looking into seeking out occupational therapy care, which is typically delivered in an outpatient setting.
But, other common places you can find OTs serving adults are in:
Find an occupational therapist near you on the OT Directory
Jessica shrum
COTA-L
HEALTHPRO
Herrin, Illinois
Aging in Place, Anxiety, Coaching, Fitness, Feeding and Eating, Knowledge Translation, Leadership, Maternal Health
Angel Kinney
COTA/L
Educator
Ozark, Arkansas
Paul Pettyjohn
OTR/L, CPAMS, MLD/CDT, CAPS
Monterey Park, California
Aging in Place, Burns, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Conditions, Chronic Pain, Ergonomics, Fitness, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Hand Therapy, Health Promotion, Home Modifications, Lymphedema, NICU, Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal, Prevention, Stroke, TBI
Kelly Brunsteter - Misuraca
OTR/L, CLT
Occupational Therapist
Self employed - Kelly Misuraca, OTR/L CLT
Edmond, Oklahoma
Aging in Place, Cancer, Dementia, Feeding and Eating, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Hand Therapy, Health Policy, Health Promotion, Home Modifications, Insomnia & Sleep, Lifestyle Medicine, Low Vision Rehabilitation, Lymphedema, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurodiversity, Neurorehabilitation, Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal, Parkinson’s, Pelvic Health, Prevention, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Rare Diseases, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, TBI, Trauma & PTSD, Vestibular & Balance Rehab, Wound Care
Blake Erban
OTR/L, CNS, PAMs
Los Angeles, California
Health Data, Health Policy
Amanda M Fonner
OTR/L
Educator
Mercy Hospital Jefferson
Festus, Missouri
Anxiety, Burns, Cancer, Chronic Conditions, Chronic Pain, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Dementia, Depression & Mood Disorders, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Hand Therapy, Health Promotion, Low Vision Rehabilitation, Lymphedema, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurodiversity, Neurorehabilitation, Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal, Parkinson’s, Social Determinants of Health, Stroke, TBI, Trauma & PTSD, Vestibular & Balance Rehab
Madison Spillman
COTA/L, BS
Winner, South Dakota
Sarah Blair
OTR/L
Mobia Medical
Indianapolis, Indiana
Stroke
Shaunna Kotka
OTD, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, CMT
Administrator
Open Grounds Inc.
Marina del Rey, California
ADHD, Anxiety, Cancer, Chronic Conditions, Chronic Pain, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Dementia, Depression & Mood Disorders, Dystonia, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Fitness, Health Promotion, Home Modifications, Insomnia & Sleep, Knowledge Translation, Lymphedema, Medication Management, Neurodiversity, Neurorehabilitation, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal, Parkinson’s, Prevention, Population Health, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Rare Diseases, Rheumatic Diseases, Social Determinants of Health, Sports Medicine & Performance, Stroke, TBI, Trauma & PTSD
Ellen Sullivan
OTR/L
Silver Spring, Maryland
Anxiety, Coaching, Health Promotion, Lifestyle Medicine, Prevention
Cortni Krusemark
OTD, OTR/L, CLA
Educator
Augustana University
Dakota City, Nebraska
Chronic Pain, Grant Writing, Hand Therapy, Health Data, Health Policy, Health Promotion, Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal
Megan Veenstra
OTR/L
The Golden OT LLC
Blaine, Minnesota
Aging in Place, Assistive Technology, Chronic Conditions, Chronic Pain, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Dementia, Ergonomics, Fitness, Feeding and Eating, Health Promotion, Home Modifications, Pelvic Health, Seating and Mobility, Stroke, TBI
Jamie Boldig
MOT, OTR/L
Appleton, Wisconsin
Aging in Place, ADHD, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Anxiety, Aphasia & Communication Disorders, Assistive Technology, Autism, Burns, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Conditions, Chronic Pain, Coaching, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Dementia, Depression & Mood Disorders, Dystonia, Ergonomics, Fitness, Feeding and Eating, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Grant Writing, Hand Therapy, Health Data, Health Policy, Health Promotion, Hippotherapy, Home Modifications, Insomnia & Sleep, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Knowledge Translation, Lifestyle Medicine, Leadership, Medication Management, Multiple Sclerosis, Nature-based, Neurodiversity, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Parkinson’s, Pelvic Health, Prevention, Population Health, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Rare Diseases, Rheumatic Diseases, Seating and Mobility, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, TBI, Trauma & PTSD, Tourette syndrome, Voice & Fluency
Cynthia Kisik
COTA/L
Patriot at Home
Louisville, Ohio
Aging in Place, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Aphasia & Communication Disorders, Assistive Technology, Burns, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Conditions, Chronic Pain, Dementia, Fitness, Grant Writing, Home Modifications, Insomnia & Sleep, Lifestyle Medicine, Medication Management, Multiple Sclerosis, Nature-based, Neurodiversity, Neurorehabilitation, Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal, Parkinson’s, Pelvic Health, Rare Diseases, Rheumatic Diseases, Seating and Mobility, Sexuality/Intimacy, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, TBI, Trauma & PTSD, Vestibular & Balance Rehab
Natalie White
OTR/L
Mayo Clinic Health System
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Dementia, Maternal Health, Neurorehabilitation
Ashley Halle
OTD, OTR/L, CAPS, LRC
Educator
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Aging in Place, Chronic Conditions, Chronic Pain, Coaching, Dementia, Depression & Mood Disorders, Health Promotion, Insomnia & Sleep
Anna Addison
MSOT, OTR
Industry Professional
Prompt Health
San Francisco, California
Aging in Place, Aphasia & Communication Disorders, Burns, Cancer, Chronic Conditions, Chronic Pain, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Ergonomics, Fitness, Feeding and Eating, Health Data, Home Modifications, Leadership, Medication Management, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurorehabilitation, Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal, Parkinson’s, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Rare Diseases, Sports Medicine & Performance, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, TBI, Trauma & PTSD, Vestibular & Balance Rehab, Wound Care
Jinu Thomas
OTD, CLT, OTR/L
Queens, New York
Aging in Place, ADHD, Anxiety, Assistive Technology, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Conditions, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Dementia, Fitness, Lymphedema, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurorehabilitation, Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal, Parkinson’s, Seating and Mobility, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, TBI
Kimberly Eberly
OTR
Balanced Vision, LLC
Aurora, Nebraska
Aging in Place, ADHD, Autism, Drivers Rehabilitation, Home Modifications, Insomnia & Sleep, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Low Vision Rehabilitation, Neurorehabilitation, Vestibular & Balance Rehab
Laurie Gosse
OTR/L
Industry Professional
Coastal Home Rehab
Middletown Township, New Jersey
Aging in Place, Autism, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Dementia, Feeding and Eating, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Lymphedema, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatic Diseases, Seating and Mobility, Stroke, Wound Care
Rebecca Villa
OTD, OTR/L, RYT-200
Student
San Diego, California
Aging in Place, Anxiety, Chronic Conditions, Coaching, Health Promotion, Home Modifications, Insomnia & Sleep, Lifestyle Medicine, Maternal Health, Pelvic Health, Prevention, Population Health, Sexuality/Intimacy, Trauma & PTSD
Hattie Tucker
OTR/L
Morgantown, West Virginia
Rachel Robertson
MOT, OTR/L, CBIS, ADHD-RSP
Neurospace LLC
Saline, Michigan
ADHD, Autism, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Health Policy, Health Promotion, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Medication Management, Neurodiversity, Neurorehabilitation, Prevention, Social Determinants of Health, Spinal Cord Injury, TBI
Mallory Taylor
OTR/L
Phoenix, Arizona
Anxiety, Aphasia & Communication Disorders, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Feeding and Eating, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Neurodiversity, Neurorehabilitation, Parkinson’s, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, TBI, Trauma & PTSD
When should you seek an OT referral
A general rule of thumb when considering whether you might benefit from occupational therapy is to ask yourself two questions:
Is my health condition making it difficult to participate in my daily activities?
Would I like help setting goals and creating a plan to improve my days?
If your answer to both is “yes,” then it may be time to talk with your doctor or reach out to a local occupational therapy clinic.
Common conditions that OTs treat
OTs treat many conditions across the lifespan. While the list below is not fully exhaustive, it gives you a good idea of some of the most common conditions that OTs can treat in adults.
ADHD
ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia
Amputations
Aphasia & Communication Disorders
Arthritis
Autism
Burns
Cerebral Palsy
Chronic pain
Depression and anxiety
Dystonia
Falls
Feeding and Eating Disorders
Hand/Arm/Shoulder injuries
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
Joint Replacement (e.g. Hip and Knee)
Low Back Pain
Low Vision
Lymphedema
Mitochondrial Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Parkinson’s Disease
Rare Diseases
Rheumatic Diseases
Spinal cord injuries
Tourette syndrome
Trauma & PTSD
Traumatic brain injuries
Occupational therapy is included in many clinical guidelines for many conditions. It is also a cost-effective intervention for many conditions.
For more examples, check out our “What is OT?” page, which includes a broad list of daily activities occupational therapists can help with. You can also checkout out our treatment guide pages, to see concrete examples of what our treatment flow looks like for specific conditions.
(A quick note: like much of healthcare, OT has historically focused on rehabilitation after acute events. But our profession is shifting—we’re now providing more support for ongoing management of chronic conditions, as well as for individuals with lifelong diagnoses, such as autism. For adults navigating new challenges, OT can offer an extra layer of support.)
OT Evaluation with Adults
Our goal as occupational therapists is to really partner with you on your health journey. So, over the course of our first sessions, we will want to understand the challenges you are facing and your goals.
When we are working with older adults, who are supported by a caregiver, it is extremely important to us that caregivers are involved in these conversations as well.
We will likely perform some type of standardized assessment as well, in order to help understand how your condition is impacting you.
Here is a long list of occupational therapy assessments for adults:
6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
Aberrant Behavior Checklist- 2 (ABC-2)
Activity Card Sort (ACS)
Agitated Behaviors Scale-Modified
Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living (BI)
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
Borg Dyspnea Scale
Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)
Dartmouth COOP Charts
Functional Independence Measure (FIM)
General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)
General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)
Goal Attainment Scale (GAS)
Grip Strength
Health Assessment Questionnaire- Disability Index
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
Independent Living Scales (ILS)
Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL)
Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills
Lawton Instrumental ADL Scale (IADL)
Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES)
Miller Behavioral Style Scale (MBSS)
Mini-Cog©
Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
Motion Sensitivity Quotient/Test (MSQ/MST)
Motricity Index for Motor Impairment After Stroke
Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living (NEADL) Scale
Occupational Performance History Interview-II (OPHI-II)
Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ)
Participation Assessment and Recombined Tools (PART-O)
Pinch Strength
Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)
Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI)
Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)
Self Efficacy Scale
Self Perception Profile for Children (SPPC)
Sharpened Romberg
Short Blessed Test (SBT)
Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS™-2)
Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Efficacy 6-Item Scale (SSE) (SEMCD)
Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)
The Medi-Cog
The Occupational Self Assessment (OSA)
Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)
Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS)
You can see our master list of OT assessments, with links to the assessments in our post: Occupational Therapy Assessments.
Common Occupational Therapy Interventions for Adults
The most effective occupational therapy interventions typically involve practice of daily tasks related to your goals.
Practice is hard, and oftentimes involves trial and error. But, we focus on real-life practice because it activates something called “activity-based neuroplasticity”, which is how your brain grows and learns new things.
To augment this practice, we may consider technology, equipment, and environmental changes.
If there is a physical limitation that is hindering your participation, we may undertake physical treatments like wound care or lymphedema management.
Here are the broad billing categories Medicare has put forth for OT for older adults.
Assistive Technology Assessment and Training
Community/Work Reintegration Training
Debridement of Wounds
Development of Cognitive Skills
Manual Therapy Techniques
Neuromuscular Re-Education
Self-Care/Home Management Training
Therapeutic Activities
Wheelchair Management
A little bit about your occupational therapist.
To become an OT in the US, you need a masters or doctoral degree. Beyond that, many OTs go on to earn specialized certifications and continuing education in their particular area of work. In general, OTs that work with adults are among the highest paid OTs, and based on our OT salary guide, make a ballpark figure of $65-90K on average.
Our mission as OTs is to make a tangible difference in your days, and thereby your life.
Conclusion
Hopefully this post has been a helpful introduction to occupational therapy for adults. There is so much more to explore about this topic!
If you are looking for further exploration, I recommend our podcast about adult-rehab topics, or some of the related blog posts listed below.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments!
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Contributors
Sarah Lyon
OTR/L
Sarah Lyon, OTR/L, is the CEO of OT Potential. Sarah earned her BA from St. Olaf College and her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University. Her diverse clinical background spans multiple settings, including critical access, acute trauma, and state inpatient psychiatric hospitals. In 2011, she founded OT Potential to fulfill the industry's need for reliable, high-quality occupational therapy resources and continuing education.
As a recognized content creator, Sarah has collaborated with top healthcare brands like VeryWell Health, WebPT, and MedBridge. She blends her clinical expertise with a talent for creating clear, action-oriented content that empowers practitioners to excel. Passionate about elevating the OT profession, she has been featured on numerous industry podcasts. Sarah ultimately returned to her roots, running OT Potential and raising her family in her hometown of Aurora, Nebraska.
