BCHC Occupational Therapy to offer Safe Driver Evaluation
April is National Occupational Therapy Month. Celebrating the services occupational therapy provides to the Buchanan County and surrounding areas, the Rehabilitation and Therapy Department is expanding its occupational therapy line by adding a safe driver evaluation program to its list of services.
During a driving evaluation and assessment, BCHC’s certified occupational therapist will assess an individual’s vision, reaction time, knowledge of driving and traffic signs, strength and range of motion, balance, and cognition. At the end of the assessment, the therapist will submit the individual’s results to their primary healthcare provider for further debriefing. Perspective candidates may be those with conditions that affect vision, memory, reaction time, and decision making. These conditions may be the result of a preexisting medical condition such as stroke recovery, those with Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and/or Alzheimer’s disease, acquired or traumatic brain injury, vision impairments such as macular degeneration or glaucoma, arthritis, and natural aging.
Performed at BCHC, this assessment may take up to 2 ½ hours in length. Different from physical therapy, occupational therapy provides patients of all ages with assistance and techniques in performing everyday living tasks, such as grooming, cooking, cognition, and other daily functions limiting physical or cognitive ability. For more information about the safe driver evaluation program or other therapy and rehabilitation services, please call the Therapy and Wellness Center at 319-332-0850, visit bchealth.org/medical-services, or follow Buchanan County Health Center on Facebook.