If you feel good about helping others, you may want to ponder your career in the healthcare system. The zone of healthcare that gives you access to hands-on patient care in occupational therapy. While one can look for COTA positions near me, there are also rewarding careers where one assists these medical professionals. In this blog, we will enlighten what a COTA (certified occupational therapy assistant) is and how they help treat patients. A COTA means certified occupational therapy assistant. They provide professional therapists with the help they need to treat patients properly. COTA positions are required to help with developing and executing treatment plans. Directing activity programs and keeping records of patients’ progress in COTA positions are also mandatory. COTA professionals, in this role, help patients achieve their health goals and live more comfortable, active lives. An occupational COTA therapist oversees the wholeness of a patient’s treatment plan. A COTA provides the help occupational therapists need to ensure patients receive the best care.
For What Responsibilities Are COTA Positions Require
Typically COTA positions are required to fill up the following everyday jobs:
- A COTA professional screens the patients to see if they qualify for occupational therapy services.
- A certified occupational therapy assistant learns about patients’ health issues and illnesses by administering assessments.
- COTA Professionals assist occupational therapists with the treatment of patients.
- Supporting occupational therapists is the work to improve patients’ range of motion, everyday living skills, physical abilities, intellectual skills, strength, endurance, coordination, and comfort.
- They document patient records and progress.
- They stock supplies and prepare the patients’ treatment area.
- Furthermore, COTA professionals keep equipment in working order by troubleshooting issues and calling for repairs if necessary.
- They help patients and their family members to comprehend their treatment plans.
More Patient Interaction
People usually advance in the field to help as many people as possible through direct interactions. By keeping that fact in check, COTA position holders come out of the institute and are keen to work with people. Most of the time is spent handling paperwork, helping plan discharges, and doing other administrative things. An OT (Occupational Therapist) may only treat his patient for the assessment, development note updates, and discharge. Meanwhile, the persons who occupy COTA positions handle the routine treatments day in and day out. On the other hand, it can be unsatisfying to hold COTA positions to deal with patient interactions. For example, having to run every answer through your OT supervisor can be difficult when a client or family member asks a question.
It is only practical for the patient or family to want to know details about development and discharge. The OT will mark the final decision for the OT department, but the handling COTA most likely knows the patient’s case and details better since they may work with the patient more regularly. After probing and examining professions, people settle on the COTA positions, an ideal field of Occupational Therapy. COTA positions are very worthwhile jobs, and there has been an augmented difficulty for COTAs in many regions to find jobs right out of the institute.
