Who helps patients regain daily living skills?

• A. Occupational Therapist (OT)
• B. Physical Therapist (PT)
• C. Speech-Language Pathologist
• D. Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Answer: (A)

Regaining independence in everyday tasks is the area where occupational therapy shines. An occupational therapist assesses what a patient can do in daily life—dressing, bathing, eating, grooming, cooking, and managing home routines—and then helps restore those abilities or adapt the environment to make tasks easier and safer. This often involves practicing motor and cognitive skills, teaching strategies to compensate for limitations, and recommending or providing adaptive equipment. By focusing on how a person performs activities of daily living, OT directly targets the skills patients need to live independently. Physical therapy concentrates more on movement and mobility, speech-language pathology on communication and swallowing, and respiratory therapy on breathing and airway management, so they don’t address daily living activities in the same targeted way.