What does an occupational therapy assistant do?
An occupational therapy assistant is primarily responsible for assisting an occupational therapist when handling patients at a clinic or similar setting. Their duties revolve around gathering patient information and medical history, treating patients using the therapist's care plan, monitoring a patient's progress, and maintaining an accurate and extensive record. There are also instances when an assistant must discuss the conditions and extent of treatment to patients and families, as well as monitor supplies and inventory.
Occupational therapy assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real occupational therapy assistant resumes:
- Order patient equipment as well as developing and fabricating inexpensive adaptive equipment for patients to use.
- Educate patients and family members on the importance of using adaptive equipment and following proper safety precautions.
- Provide all occupational therapy services to facility patients, including charting their progress, developing and maintaining treatment plans.
- Assist in rebuilding the therapy department in an inner city SNF.
- Perform therapy to patients with hip replacements, knee replacements, CVA, and multiple disorders.
- Help patients adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devices.
- Provide interventions for patients with a variety of diagnoses, including CVA, dementia, hip replacements, and etc.
- Promote positive working relationships among veterans and staff.
- Design customize accommodation that enhances participation in ADL and leisure activities.
- Complete treatment documentation per Medicare guidelines for proper reimbursement of services.
- Conduct individual and group sessions with veterans living in palliative/dementia care.
- Provide therapeutic exercises to assist with patient mobility and ADL activity tolerance.
- Instruct, motivate, and assist patients practicing exercise and functional activities, under direction and supervision of therapist.
- Work together with interdisciplinary rehabilitation team members to develop and implement treatment plan consistent with the functional needs of each patient.
- Facilitate and encourage patient participation and improve occupational performance within the SNF environment.
Occupational therapy assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 27% of Occupational Therapy Assistants are proficient in Patients, Rehabilitation, and Home Health. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Physical strength, and Compassion.
We break down the percentage of Occupational Therapy Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 27%
Performed individual patient treatment under OT supervision Assessed and screened patients Assisted patients to achieve planned goals Properly documented patient's progress
- Rehabilitation, 22%
Completed many quarterly interdisciplinary rehabilitation screens.
- Home Health, 11%
Provide quality care through prescribed skilled therapeutic intervention under supervision of Registered Occupational Therapist in Home Health environment.
- Patient Care, 10%
Provide direct patient care to geriatric population with orthopedic, neurological, degenerative diseases, amputations and medical complications.
- Therapy Programs, 4%
Assisted occupational therapists in planning, implementing and administering therapy programs.
- Acute Care, 3%
Performed skilled therapeutic treatments in an acute care setting under direct supervision of an Occupational Therapist.
Most occupational therapy assistants use their skills in "patients," "rehabilitation," and "home health" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential occupational therapy assistant responsibilities here:
Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an occupational therapy assistant to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "occupational therapy assistants and aides must quickly and accurately follow the instructions, both written and spoken, of an occupational therapist." Occupational therapy assistants often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provide occupational therapy services to homebound patients collaborate/consult with therapists, nurses and administrators write notes detailing each visit"
Physical strength. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling occupational therapy assistant duties is physical strength. The role rewards competence in this skill because "assistants and aides need to have a moderate degree of strength because of the physical exertion required to assist patients." According to an occupational therapy assistant resume, here's how occupational therapy assistants can utilize physical strength in their job responsibilities: "demonstrated skills in providing direct patient care individuals with physical disabilities and functional limitations. "
Compassion. This is an important skill for occupational therapy assistants to perform their duties. For an example of how occupational therapy assistant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "occupational therapy assistants and aides frequently work with patients who struggle with many of life’s basic activities." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an occupational therapy assistant: "earned repeated commendations from supervisor and patients for providing high- quality, compassionate care. ".
Interpersonal skills. occupational therapy assistant responsibilities often require "interpersonal skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "occupational therapy assistants and aides spend much of their time interacting with patients and therefore should be friendly and courteous." This resume example shows what occupational therapy assistants do with interpersonal skills on a typical day: "use effective interpersonal relations and communication skills to participate in teaching patients and families. "
The three companies that hire the most occupational therapy assistants are:
- Reliant Rehabilitation424 occupational therapy assistants jobs
- Genesis HealthCare153 occupational therapy assistants jobs
- Aegis Therapies98 occupational therapy assistants jobs
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Compare different occupational therapy assistants
Occupational therapy assistant vs. Rehab technician
A rehab technician's role is to assist physical therapists and patients in a hospital or similar facility. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's personal information and medical history, escorting them to corresponding rooms, and conducting initial tests and assessments. It is also essential to maintain records of all transactions, updating medical accounts promptly and accurately. Furthermore, a rehab technician may also perform basic treatments under the supervision of a physical therapist. There are also instances when they have to sanitize and clean therapy equipment, all in adherence to the facility's safety regulations and policies.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, occupational therapy assistant responsibilities require skills like "patient care," "therapy programs," "occupational therapy treatments," and "adaptive." Meanwhile a typical rehab technician has skills in areas such as "customer service," "cpr," "cleanliness," and "taking care." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Rehab technicians earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $29,851. On the other hand, occupational therapy assistants are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $52,020.On average, rehab technicians reach similar levels of education than occupational therapy assistants. Rehab technicians are 0.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Occupational therapy assistant vs. Rehabilitation aide
A rehabilitation aide is responsible for assisting patients with injuries, mental disorders, and illnesses in their treatment plans and medications. Rehabilitation aides monitor the patients' progress and update attending physicians regarding their conditions. They also prepare treatment rooms, including the materials and equipment for the medical procedures, and discuss the process with the patients. A rehabilitation aide must be highly organizational, especially in attending to different patients' needs and ensuring the safety and security of all facilities and assets.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real occupational therapy assistant resumes. While occupational therapy assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "patient care," "therapy programs," "acute care," and "occupational therapy treatments," rehabilitation aides use skills like "cpr," "cleanliness," "data entry," and "vital signs."
On average, rehabilitation aides earn a lower salary than occupational therapy assistants. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, rehabilitation aides earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $29,100. Whereas occupational therapy assistants have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $52,020.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Rehabilitation aides tend to reach similar levels of education than occupational therapy assistants. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Occupational therapy assistant vs. Student assistant technician
In a music therapy internship, an intern's duties primarily depend on the directives of a manager or supervising staff. Typically, they are responsible for gaining industry insights and practical experience while performing support tasks such as answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, conducting research and analysis, setting-up instruments and other devices, and running errands as needed. They may also assist and work with clients under the supervision of a therapist. Moreover, they must understand and adhere to the facility's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, occupational therapy assistants are more likely to have skills like "home health," "therapy programs," "occupational therapy treatments," and "adaptive." But a student assistant technician is more likely to have skills like "iadl," "adaptive equipment," "mental health," and "vital signs."
When it comes to education, student assistant technicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to occupational therapy assistants. In fact, they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Occupational therapy assistant vs. Music therapy internship
Types of occupational therapy assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
