Community Memorial Healthcare: Occupational Therapy.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists assess and treat a patient's physical and mental skills to help them develop the “skills for the job of living”.

Occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants work with people of all ages to gain the skills that are needed for independent and satisfying lives. A certified occupational therapy assistant/licensed (COTA/L) works under the supervision of an occupational therapist registered/licensed (OTR/L).

CMH occupational therapy provides services for inpatients, outpatients, home health patients, long term care residents, and infant toddlers with a physician referral.

Common diagnoses occupational therapy sees:
• Spinal cord injuries
• Stroke
• Fractures
• Repetitive use injuries, tendonitis
• Joint replacements
• Learning disabilities
• Burns
• Vision problems
• Head injuries
• Arthritis
• Degenerative chronic conditions
• Heart disease / surgery
• Lung disease
• Work injuries

Services include:
• Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) – skills that everyone needs to complete the job of living such as bathing, dressing, homemaking, mobility, leisure and play.
• Fine motor skills – activities such as eating, writing, and buttoning
• Hand therapy – range of motion, strength, coordination, sensation, scar management, and splinting to gain function.
• Wheelchair positioning – evaluation of the chair and individual for proper fit and comfort, use in environment, and safely.
• Ergonomics – evaluating job or hobby and how the work is done to have good positioning to avoid injury or re-injury.
• Children’s rehabilitation – age appropriate assessment and treatment activities are used to promote function.
• Cognitive skills – assessment and development of strategies for memory, problems, problem solving, and sequencing.

Occupational therapy staff:

Colette Ottens, OTR/L - Colette graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, NE in 1992. She started the occupational therapy department at CMH in 1996. She enjoys the wide variety of patients she sees at CMH, and has a particular interest in hand therapy.

Monica Cramer Carey, OTR/L - Monica graduated from Kansas University in 1985. Monica started working for CMH in 1998. Her interests include stroke, head injury, and neuromuscular rehabilitation.

Stephanie Sedlacek, OTR/L - Stephanie graduated from the College of St. Mary's in Omaha, NE in 2008. She has a special interest in pediatrics.

Jana Mashmann, OTR/L - Jana graduated from the College of St. Mary's in Omaha, NE. Her area of interest is in the field of neurological rehabilitation.

Kirsten Chesser, OTR/L - Kirsten graduated from Creighton Univeristy in Omaha, NE in 1992. She has an extensive background in home health care and geriatrics.

Colette and Kirsten work full-time, Monica works part-time, and Stephanie and Jana work when additional staff is needed (PRN).

For more information, please contact Colette Ottens at (785)562-2311, ext. 469.