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Occupational Therapy

Photo of an occupational therapist with a patient

Who Are We?

Occupational therapists believe the activities you do every day help to keep you healthy.

Our activities or “occupations” can be divided into three groups:

  1. Self-Care – what we do to take care of ourselves (dressing, bathing, grooming, feeding)
  2. Work or Productivity – participating in paid or unpaid work, going to school, taking care of our children and /or homes
  3. Leisure – what we do for fun and enjoyment (hobbies, sports)

Sickness, disease and/ or injury can make it hard to do the activities that are important for us. Occupational Therapists can help.

Occupational Therapists want to know:

  • What activities you need or want to do the most
  • What activities you can and cannot do physically (strength, coordination, balance, other physical abilities)
  • What activities you can and cannot do mentally (memory, organizational skills, coping skills, other mental abilities)
  • Whether you have help when you need it (could be a person or a piece of equipment)
  • If your home, work and play areas are set up to let you do things for yourself.

Occupational therapists are good problem solvers. They work with you to find practical suggestions to help you do the things that are important to you.

How do I get in to see an occupational therapist at Horizon Health Network?

Horizon Health Network wants it to be easy for you to get the care you need:

  • A referral from a Doctor/Nurse Practitioner or other Health Care provider
  • Self-referral – you can call your local occupational therapy department, tell them the reason you would like to see an occupational therapist and refer yourself.

Where do occupational therapists work? 

Please click here to find out the types of services occupational therapists provide:

  • Hospitals
  • Acute Psychiatry
  • Extramural Program
  • Community Health Centres
  • Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation
  • Community Mental Health

Definitions for Hospital Based Services

Includes self-feeding, dressing, bathing, mobility, personal hygiene

Includes care of others and pets, child rearing, use of communication devices (phone, computers, etc.), community mobility, financial and household management and meal preparation

Ability to walk or use a wheelchair in the home and/or community. Transfers to bed, toilet, shower/bath, car, etc. Ability to transport objects from one space to another.

Common items include bathroom equipment (tub transfer benches, raised toilet seats), Wheelchairs for short and long-term use, devices adapted to do a specific task (long handled reachers, weighted spoons, sock aids, etc.).

Custom made (molded) splints following hand surgery or an injury as per surgeon’s recommendations, Recommendations for off-the-shelf products for arthritis

Occupational therapists use everyday activities and standardized (very specific) testing to determine how your brain is functioning and how able you are to do your everyday tasks safely. They may watch you do a specific task that you are familiar with (such as making tea and toast) or give you a paper and pen test. They will explain the results to you following the assessment.

Occupational therapists help with positioning in beds and wheelchairs to help prevent development of pressure sores and to help them heal.

It may involve neonatal and pediatric assessment and treatment of abnormal development, feeding and positioning. Pediatric therapy is typically done on an outpatient basis.

Occupational therapy’s role in acute burn management is for positioning of the limbs, making specialized splints, recommending specific exercises to decrease risk of deformity and helping the patient participate in activities.

Horizon locations offering this service:

Facility Name Address Phone
Oromocto Public Hospital 103 Winnebago St., Oromocto, New Brunswick, E2V 1C6 506-357-4700
Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (Fredericton) 700 Priestman St. , PO Box 9000, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5N5 506-452-5400
Queens North Community Health Centre 1100 Pleasant Dr., Minto, New Brunswick, E4B 2V6 506-327-7800
Central Miramichi Community Health Centre 11 Prospect St., Doaktown, New Brunswick, E9C 1C3 506-365-6100

Facility Name Address Phone
Miramichi Regional Hospital 500 Water St., Miramichi, New Brunswick, E1V 3G5 506-623-3000

Facility Name Address Phone
Sackville Memorial Hospital 8 Main St., Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 4A3 506-364-4100
The Moncton Hospital 135 MacBeath Ave., Moncton, New Brunswick, E1C 6Z8 506-857-5111

Facility Name Address Phone
St. Joseph's Hospital (Saint John) 130 Bayard Dr., Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 3L6 506-632-5555
Saint John Regional Hospital 400 University Ave., Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L2 506-648-6000
Charlotte County Hospital (St. Stephen) 4 Garden St., St. Stephen, New Brunswick, E3L 2L9 506-465-4444
Sussex Health Centre 75 Leonard Dr., Sussex, New Brunswick, E4E 2P7 506-432-3100
St. Joseph’s Community Health Centre 116 Coburg St., Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 3K1 506-632-5537

Facility Name Address Phone
Hotel-Dieu of St. Joseph (Perth-Andover) 10 Woodland Hill, Perth-Andover, New Brunswick, E7H 5H5 506-273-7100
Upper River Valley Hospital (Waterville) 11300 Route 130, Waterville, New Brunswick, E7P 0A4 506-375-5900
Tobique Valley Community Health Centre 120 Main St., Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, E7G 2E5 506-356-6600