If your loved one is having difficulty in their everyday life due to changes in their health or level of ability, they may need treatment at a rehabilitation center. In some circumstances, occupational therapy may be most helpful, while other cases require physical therapy. If your loved one is in recovery from an injury or a stroke, they may even need a combination of both. Here's what you need to know about these two services to help your loved one get the care they need.

Occupational Therapy

This type of treatment is designed to identify everyday tasks where your loved one struggles and help them find ways to complete them. This may mean practicing to do certain routines more effectively, but can also mean learning new methods or setting your loved one up with assistive devices that will make the task easier.

For example, if they have trouble brushing their teeth, they may need to relearn this skill, or they may need an electric toothbrush to make it physically easier. Other common tasks occupational therapists help with include bathing, dressing, cooking, and cleaning. The main goal of this type of therapy is to help your loved one regain independence. 

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is focused on rebuilding the range and strength of your loved one's movement. It can improve joint mobility, or restore normal muscle tone in a limb or other body part that has weakened. Because of this, patients who have had a stroke, broken a hip, or those with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease can benefit from physical therapy. 

Restoring physical capabilities can make daily tasks easier, but the focus is on the physical movement itself, not the task. Where occupational therapy might provide your loved one with a special tool for putting socks on without bending, physical therapy will help them regain the flexibility and balance to bend.

If your loved one needs assistance with day-to-day tasks, the compassionate team at Englewood Health Care Center in Monroeville, AL, can help. These professional RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and physicians will work with your loved one to restore independence through speech, physical, and occupational therapy programs. Whether they require rehabilitation between a hospital stay and returning home, or need around-the-clock, assisted living care, you can count on this team to monitor your loved one’s health and safety. To schedule a tour of the facility, call (251) 575-3285, or learn more about the center’s goals online.