Daily support to regain autonomy. Occupational therapy is a discipline that is still little known but increasingly in demand.
They are more than 10,000 to exercise in France. And yet, occupational therapists are one of the more low-key professions. It is nonetheless essential on a daily basis. It was even in 2013, the most requested profession in the country. But what exactly is occupational therapy? On the occasion of the World Day dedicated to this paramedical discipline, Why actor takes stock in 3 questions with the vice-president of the French National Association of Occupational Therapists (ANFE), Guillaume Pelé.
What is occupational therapy used for?
Occupational therapy can be summed up in two verbs: maintain and restore autonomy. This notion is at the heart of a discipline which is part of everyday life. “The goal of occupational therapy is to enable a person, however unique, to maintain or regain their previous lifestyle. We are talking about autonomy, capacity, performance, details Guillaume Pelé. For this, we use the means of everyday life. These situations are used to assess, re-train or bring compensation. It goes from being able to get up in the morning to resume work. The role of the occupational therapist is to help each patient find the resources to overcome the barriers of everyday life.
Guillaume Pelé, Occupational therapist : ” We intervene as soon as a person has a problem in his daily life. We are trained to analyze human activity and intervene. “
Support which can be long-term, but which can also be very punctual. “It can be short and simple. For example, in the case of fitting an orthosis after a hand operation, we can intervene in the rehabilitation with other paramedical colleagues ”, specifies Guillaume Pelé.
Who can benefit from occupational therapy?
In theory, anyone can access the services of an occupational therapist, once they have been prescribed. This paramedical professional always works in relation to other disciplines, but he covers a very wide field. Its objective is to limit the handicap as much as possible, whether physical, mental or psychological, by adapting the environment or the person to the demands of daily life.
“We often talk about physical disability, but we can also think of cognitive disabilities, attention problems, memory,” says Guillaume Pelé. Indeed, dyspraxia, a coordination disorder that affects 3 to 6% of children, is regularly treated by occupational therapists. So much so that deputies asked, in July 2015, that health insurance coverage be covered by an agreement.
Is it refunded?
Even if occupational therapy is only accessible with a prescription, its liberal practice is not yet supported by Health Insurance. Activities carried out in establishments (retirement homes, hospitals, etc.) are sometimes covered. Some mutuals or pension funds also offer packages. “Mutuals offer more and more options in their contracts, and some insurance companies call on our services for home support assessments”, points out Mathilde Poulat, president of the union of liberal occupational therapists (Synfel-Ergolib).
Guillaume Pelé : ” Perhaps our liberal exercise, hoping that it will be recognized one day, will allow us to offer fairness for the general public. “
For people with disabilities or those suffering from learning disabilities, specific solutions are possible: the disability compensation benefit (information from the departmental house for disabled people), personalized autonomy allowance, allowance of disabled child education. But requests for allowances are often likened to an obstacle course. “The answers are very disparate according to the departments and the budgets allocated by the General Council, the MDPH”, explains Mathilde Poulat.
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