Occupational
Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Riverwood Healthcare offers a variety of occupational therapy services to meet patients’ needs
Occupational therapy helps those whose lives have been disrupted by injury, disease, the aging process, or developmental problems. The fundamental goal of therapy is to use purposeful activities or interventions that will help restore independent and meaningful lives.
Occupational therapy services are available in Aitkin. For an appointment, call Riverwood’s Therapy Services department at 218-927-5580.
Occupational therapy helps those whose lives have been disrupted by injury, disease, the aging process, or developmental problems. The fundamental goal of therapy is to use purposeful activities or interventions that will help restore independent and meaningful lives.
Occupational therapy services are available in Aitkin. For an appointment, call Riverwood’s Therapy Services department at 218-927-5580.
Occupational Therapist Specialties
Fabrication of custom elbow, wrist or hand splints, both dynamic and static.
Manual lymph drainage, bandaging, exercise and compression garments.
Interpretation of results to the patient/family.
For a diagnosis like cancer, multiple sclerosis or stroke.
Including functional capacity evaluations, work/job analysis evaluations, ergonomics and pre-employment work screens.
Pediatric Care
Pediatric occupational therapy helps children succeed in their everyday activities, from self-care and motor skills to social skills, sensory processing, self-regulation and feeding issues.
We can evaluate and treat coordination, upper body motor skills, sensory processing, vision/perception, self-feeding, feeding dysfunction, school readiness and more. Treatment is focused on fine motor development, posture, strength, range of motion and coordination.
Feeding evaluations can increase infant feeding progression, increase child food intake with oral motor strengthening, positioning, and adaptive equipment.
We work with children to manage daily life activities, increase strength and improve muscle development. We can also help children develop skills to become more independent and safely meet goals and interact socially and cope with sensory stimulation within their environment.
We can evaluate and treat coordination, upper body motor skills, sensory processing, vision/perception, self-feeding, feeding dysfunction, school readiness and more. Treatment is focused on fine motor development, posture, strength, range of motion and coordination.
Feeding evaluations can increase infant feeding progression, increase child food intake with oral motor strengthening, positioning, and adaptive equipment.
We work with children to manage daily life activities, increase strength and improve muscle development. We can also help children develop skills to become more independent and safely meet goals and interact socially and cope with sensory stimulation within their environment.
Meet our Occupational Therapists
Through personalized strategies and hands-on support, our occupational therapy team is here to empower you to live more fully and comfortably.
Heather Alexander, MA, OT/L, AOEAS
REAL PATIENTS. REAL STORIES.
Helping Noah succeed at school
Noah, age 7, loves the kid-friendly care at Riverwood, according to his mom, Megan. “Noah was having some learning and attention issues in school and an individual education program evaluation uncovered that he was having difficulty processing information,” Megan explained. “Therapy was recommended to help him with these developmental delays.” Noah began weekly occupational therapy sessions at Riverwood in early June 2018. Amanda Genz, an occupational therapist who specializes in pediatric care, helped him with strengthening his core muscles and working on auditory and visual processing skills to help him succeed in school in the fall. “Noah worked hard in therapy to incorporate working the body and the brain at the same time in order to see increased body control and processing skills necessary for daily activities, especially school,” Amanda said. “When kids have control of their own bodies, they have an easier time taking in the necessary information from their environment and processing it for use throughout their day. By the end of his weekly sessions, Noah was able to perform the physical task while expanding the amount of information processed at the same time.” Megan said Noah loved the play-based therapy and looked forward to his “Amanda” days. “By the end of the summer, Noah’s memory was better and he was quicker with his responses,” Megan said. “I’m excited to see how he will do with his school work now.” Megan also praises the wonderful care from Noah’s primary care provider at Riverwood. “Nurse Practitioner Lisa Gerhart is wonderful. She’s very patient with Noah and helps him laugh and feel very comfortable during clinic exams. If I have a question or concern, Lisa always responds quickly and fits us in for appointments on short notice.”
I’m so happy that I can walk and move again with ease.
After Karen Perfect had cancer surgery, both her legs began retaining fluid and became very swollen. Her primary care physician, Dr. Tom Lawson, diagnosed lymphedema and referred her for therapy at Riverwood’s rehabilitation department. Lymphedema is swelling, typically occurring in the arms or legs, which is caused by a buildup of lymph fluid. This condition can develop when lymph nodes are removed in surgery, vessels are injured during radiation therapy, and various other reasons. The lymph system filters and drains excess fluid in the body. When the lymph system is damaged, the protein-rich fluid builds up and cause swelling. As swelling persists, the skin becomes harder and can begin to discolor. There is then more risk for developing a serious condition called cellulitis. “I was living with a lot of discomfort,” Karen explains. “I had trouble walking and getting in and out of the car. Hats off to Dr. Lawson for diagnosing the problem quickly and sending me to therapy.” Karen noticed positive results after just the first week and by the second week she was regaining her independence. She worked with Terri Peterson, one of two therapists at Riverwood who is specially trained and certified in lymphedema therapy. An occupational therapist with 30 years of experience, Terri specializes in treating cancer and lymphedema patients along with those recovering from elbow, wrist and hand injuries. Karen adds: “Using a special massage technique with her fingers, Terri worked miracles on my legs. Her compassion and concern for me was wonderful. I’m so happy that I can walk and move again with ease.” Lymphedema can be successfully managed. Treatment focuses on reducing the swelling, increasing movement and decreasing the pain—supporting improved functioning and enjoyment of life. Karen was given daily exercises to do along with wearing compression stockings that encourage the flow of the lymph fluid from her legs.