Physical Therapy vs. Occupational Therapy

Think of all the different activities you do in a single day, from the mundane to the exciting. You get out of bed in the morning, shower, and dress. You make yourself meals throughout the day and drive to and from home to run errands and appointments.

Of course, we can’t forget the activities you actually enjoy doing, like golfing, running around with your grandkids, and traveling with your spouse or friends.

We don’t realize how much our bodies allow us to do on a regular basis – that is until we can’t do them anymore. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, illness, or joint replacement, physical and occupational therapy can help get you back on your feet to do more of what you enjoy.

What is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is a non-invasive treatment method to improve mobility, strength, and balance. A trained and licensed physical therapist can assess your pain, symptoms, and condition to formulate a personalized treatment plan that will work best for you. With proper stretches and exercises, physical therapy can lessen your pain, improve your physical function and even help you prevent falls and injuries in the future.

Physical Therapy from Ethos Home Care

Physical therapy is one of the many home care services that Ethos Home Health Care provides patients. The physical therapy service is first focused on making sure a patient’s home is safe and set up the way it should be to help that patient recover properly.

"We start by doing a good home assessment and making sure that person is safe in their home and that their environment can keep them safe from injuring themselves," said Brittni Kraft-McGarry, the Director of Ethos Home Health Care.

After that, the physical therapist will create a therapy plan based around where the patient spends most of their time at home. The therapist will bring portable exercise equipment and bands to the patient’s home and guide them through exercises meant to improve their flexibility and mobility. The therapist will also bring an assistive device for the patient to use until they are strong enough to balance and move on their own.

“Personalization and being relatable is something you don’t normally get with other agencies, but it is something you can count on getting from us,” Brittni said.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy is designed to get you back to caring for yourself and doing daily activities around the house after an illness, injury or joint replacement surgery. An occupational therapist will help reacquaint you to doing normal, everyday tasks you didn’t used to think about, like dressing yourself, getting up and down steps, and cooking.

Occupational Therapy from Ethos Home Care

While physical therapy focuses heavily on the movement of your body and regaining your strength, occupational therapy is more focused on getting you back to doing day-to-day activities.

Just like in physical therapy, our occupational therapists will conduct an in-person home assessment to ensure you’re in a safe environment that won’t complicate your recovery. The occupational therapist will get to know what a typical day for you used to look like, then create an individualized treatment plan focused on reaching your specific recovery goals.

"In contrast to physical therapy, occupational therapy is more geared at a patient's daily activities like grooming, bathing and getting in and out of bed, Brittni explained. “There’s also a cognitive component to occupational therapy involving assessments to ensure patients can function safely at home, such as their memory to remember to take their medications, turn off the stove, etc.”

Why Choose Therapy Services from Ethos Home Health Care?

Whether you’re receiving occupational therapy or physical therapy, you can count on being treated like a member of the Ethos Home Care family. That’s part of the reason why we have such a large number of recurring patients, because of the personalization and high-quality care we provide.

“We have many recurring clients, not because they didn’t get adequate care, but because they absolutely love working with our staff, the culture that we have and the customer service that we provide,” Brittni said.

At Ethos Home Care, we strongly follow our mission statement and apply it to everything we do. This is what helps set us apart and continue to provide the highest quality care to our patients.

“Our mission at Ethos Home Care is to enrich the quality of living for those we serve, and we really hold true to that,” Brittni explained. “Our mission statement is what we live and breathe every day, and all of our staff abide by this.”

Experience Personalized Therapeutic Services from Ethos Home Health Care

At Ethos Home Health Care, our top priority is providing you with the highest quality of care in your recovery from an illness, injury or joint replacement. If you think you could benefit from receiving occupational or physical therapy services from Ethos Home Care, please contact us today at (701)809-9319. We look forward to speaking with you!