Occupational Therapy

For Independence After Illness or Injury

Imagine that you’ve had an accident, really smashed your wrist, the surgeon has repaired it, placed it in a splint, and told you not to lift anything or twist the wrist for at least 8 weeks. How would you do things that require two hands and arms? Or, imagine that you’ve had a stroke that has left one side of your body paralyzed. You’d like to go back home and take care of yourself, but you don’t know how. Where would you turn for help? You can turn to Occupational Therapy.

The OT uses purposeful activity to make the most of each person’s ability to be independent in taking care of oneself (including bathing, cooking and even driving a vehicle), working, playing, and in enjoying life through leisure activities. As a result, OTs work with a wide variety of patients and diagnoses including stroke; orthopedic conditions such as elbow, wrist and hand injuries; developmental disorders such as infants who can’t suck or hold a bottle; mental illnesses; various hand injuries such as tendon lacerations; cumulative trauma injuries; work-related injuries; and injuries/diseases to the back and spine.

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., Occupational Therapists may evaluate our home and workplace to plan the most appropriate therapy for us. OTs also help us control pain and swelling in our arthritic joints, and even protect our joints from arthritis damage through splinting. They help us manage stress and fatigue, and assist us in obtaining special assistive devices, custom-fitted splints and other adaptive equipment needed to best live and care for ourselves.

Occupational therapy is a diverse field that offers us the opportunity to become more independent. They say, “don’t give up and accept dependence – get the OT involved!”

For free brochures about arthritis, write the American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20418-3425; call 1-800-668-8255; or on the web at www.aota.org.

Deckerville Community Hospital's OT Department

Gwen Vermeersch, Occupational Therapist, has been treating patients in the Deckerville Physical and Occupational Therapy Department for years. A “Thumb” native, Gwen attended Unionville-Sebewaing high School. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Saginaw Valley State University in 1995. Since then, Gwen has specialized in hand therapy, working at Covenant Healthcare for 11 years.

Gwen has attended many post-graduate courses focusing on hand therapy. Several of the courses have been held at the nationally renowned Philadelphia hand Center. She is employed by Therapy Partners, P.C. of Port Sanilac, and has been contracted to the hospital for the past year. Gwen married a local farmer, Brent, and has a six year old daughter Erin. She enjoys scrapbooking, bowling, vacationing and spending time wither family.

When you have a prescription from your physician for hand therapy, please call Gwen at (810) 376-3400.