Occupational Therapy Programs in Deleware
Enjoyment or a sense of accomplishment arising from helping others is a characteristic of a good health care worker. As occupational therapists, individuals get close to their patients, physically and often emotionally, as both therapist and patient work toward the goal of regaining, developing or improving normal skills that once perfected will lead to a more productive and independent life for the patient.
Under the study of occupational therapy, one can find two major job classifications, occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant. Each profession requires higher education, but not at the same levels. As the title indicates, an occupation therapy assistant aids the occupational therapist in helping patients with developmental, emotional and physical difficulties. While a therapist may design the program or decide what activities best suit an individual patient, an assistant may monitor the patient as he or she performs the designated exercises to ensure that the activities are being performed properly. The assistant may also provide aid in carrying out an exercise and can provide motivation when needed.
In the state of Delaware, the first state admitted to the union, people interested in becoming therapy assistants have a pool of schools and higher education programs to choose from. One of those institutions of advanced learning is Delaware Technical & Community College (DTCC). Delaware Tech, which was founded in 1966 by the state general assembly, provides an affordable education that many students would be unable to afford at other institutions. DTCC is located in Dover (Charles L. Terry Campus) and is a member of the Delaware community college system. The college has an enrollment near 45,000 and has campuses in Dover, Georgetown (Jack F. Owens Campus), Newark (Stanton Campus) and Wilmington (Wilmington Campus).
As a rule, occupational therapy assistants should have an average to above average amount of strength as they will at times need to physically aid patients. In general, the job can be physically taxing, calling for lifting, stooping and periods of intense exertion. Assessments of clients are performed by occupational therapists. With information gained from interviewing or speaking with a patient, the therapist can devise a plan to help the patient reach established goals. Students looking to go beyond the assistant position and become a therapist will need to get a higher level degree.
Many students and professionals in Delaware looking to further their educations choose to do so across the state line in Pennsylvania. Thomas Jefferson University, founded in 1824 and located in Philadelphia, has a long history of educating students to work in a wide range of professions. The Jefferson School of Health Professions (JSHP) offers Delaware students a chance get higher-level degrees without straying very far from their home state.
Citizens of Delaware are right at home in the historical districts of Philadelphia. After all, Delaware, the first state, has a plethora of historical buildings and sites. The state also has its share of appealing beach communities, as it does border the Atlantic Ocean.
Delaware is good place to get started in an occupational therapy program and get an up-close look at some of the historical sites this country has to offer.