Abstract
Occupational therapy is associated with all means and stages of rehabilitation, despite being considered a healthcare field in the Czech Republic. In the European countries and worldwide, the trend in recent years suggests the important role of occupational therapy not only in healthcare but also in the social sphere.
Occupational therapy is an integral part of rehabilitation. Its aim is to preserve or restore a person's abilities through the use of meaningful activities and employment.
Meaningful activities are selected individually for each individual of any age category according to the importance so that they can manage their routine daily living and the occupational, educational, social, leisure and recreational activities that are essential to them. Occupational therapists diagnose the functional condition of an individual, including the diagnosis of their functional abilities to manage activities of daily living, cognitive functions in terms of activities of daily living, motor skills and the function of the upper extremities, prevocational rehabilitation for the purpose of occupational and educational rehabilitation, diagnosis of leisure activities that an individual is able to perform, and diagnosis of environmental factors in relation to facilitators and barriers.
Based on the results of the examinations and the diagnosis, the occupational therapist designs a short- and long-term occupational therapy plan and recommends customized occupational therapy in order to achieve the maximum possible quality of life. Occupational therapy in healthcare is conducted as prescribed by a doctor.