What made you get into the field of Occupational Therapy?
OT is my 2nd career. Before this I had a desk job which I found boring and lacked purpose. After looking into psychology, and other health care fields including PT and speech therapy, I found OT. It seemed to be the best fit for me, advocating for my patients, using purposeful and meaningful activity to promote independence and safety.
How long have you been practicing?
For over 20 years. I graduated from Touro College in 1998 with an MS in Occupational Therapy. I’ve worked mainly with the adult and geriatric population in hospitals and nursing homes. My focus began to switch to home therapy about 15 years ago when my own parents became elderly and needed my help at home.
What’s your favorite part about it?
I like OT for the variety of areas we treat our patients. We don’t just look at the physical aspect of a person. We also focus on their cognitive and emotional aspects as well. Treating the patient as a whole person and not just a diagnosis.
What’s your favorite condition to treat?
When I first started practicing, my focus was on neurological conditions such as CVAs with vision deficits. As I got older, my focus in now on orthopedic and home safety with the goal of keeping as many geriatric people at home for as long as possible.
How can patients benefit from treatment?
In home therapy, I find most patients live by themselves and have some help come into the house periodically during the week. The biggest benefit from treatment is to keep them as strong and safe as possible so they can dress and bathe themselves, make or heat up meals, walk to and from the bathroom, reach out the door to get the mail, as independent as possible and reduce risk of falls and decline.
What do you love about being part of the Reddy Care PT & OT team?
I’ve been working for Reddy-Care for almost a year now. I found everyone to be very helpful, friendly, professional with a sense of a team working together. Being a home care therapist, it can get lonely working by yourself. The open communication between therapist and administration helps in making me feel that I’m really not alone. There is always someone available to help, listen and recommend solutions. Of course, the happy hours and yearly parties are fun to see everyone on a more personal level to kick back and relax.
What’s one fun fact about you?
On my down time, I like to read, cook, and hangout. My favorite is to play with my little nieces and nephew. I’m a big kid at heart. I decompress with a walk or relaxing at the beach. I also like to hang out with friends throw food on the BBQ and a cold beer on a hot day or going out to dinner and a movie.
At Reddy Care Physical and Occupational Therapy, we can get you set up with the right therapist for you. Call today to schedule a consultation!
Reddy Care Great Neck (Great Neck Physical Therapy): 516-829-0030
Reddy Care Farmingdale (Farmingdale Physical Therapy): 516-420-2900
In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy (Home Care): 516-829-0030
