Looking for a rewarding career that combines healthcare, therapy, and the opportunity to make a difference? Being an occupational therapist in a senior living community is both challenging and incredibly rewarding. At Stellar Senior Living, our occupational therapists play an irreplaceable role in helping residents maintain independence, improve mobility, and enjoy a higher quality of life. If you’ve been wondering how to become an occupational therapist and what it’s like to work in a supportive senior living environment, this guide will walk you through the education requirements, skills you’ll need, and the unique benefits of pursuing your career with Stellar Senior Living.
What Does an Occupational Therapist in a Senior Living Community Do?
Occupational therapist careers in senior living can encompass a wide variety of roles and responsibilities. In a Stellar Senior Living Community, Occupational Therapists (OT) design and implement programs to help residents achieve their highest level of independence in activities of daily living (ADLs), mobility, and overall quality of life. The OT collaborates closely with residents, families, and the interdisciplinary team to ensure individualized, holistic care.
Daily responsibilities are focused on helping seniors improve or maintain their independence and quality of life. As an OT, you’ll evaluate residents to see if they need your help, and if so, how much. For seniors who do need occupational therapy, you’ll create a unique treatment plan tailored to their needs. Then, you’ll work with them to improve their functional skills and independence. You’ll need to write up your treatment plan, document your progress notes, and write discharge summaries when your clients no longer need occupational therapy.
Occupational therapists also help educate seniors, families, and caregivers on how to use adaptive techniques and equipment. Care conferences will allow you to collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other members of staff to support your residents in their goals.
Being a Senior Living Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, senior living communities, schools, and private practices. As an OT in a senior living community, you’ll provide consistent, long-term care with seniors you know. Since many Stellar Living communities have an in-house OT who works exclusively with members of that community, you’ll be able to develop rewarding relationships with the seniors you care for. Working as an OT in senior living also usually results in less stress and a lower caseload than in other settings.
For example, an OT in a hospital is usually focused on providing intensive, short-term care, with the goal being hospital discharge. Short timelines and acute needs make this job more fast-paced, and often more stressful. Working in schools typically involves a lot of travel to different schools or buildings to provide brief sessions with many children. In a private practice, you could see as many as 8 clients a day, with only a few minutes between sessions.
Working in senior living often offers OT’s a good work/life balance, with enough new challenges to keep things interesting, but through-line consistency that prevents stress and overwhelm.
How to Become an Occupational Therapist in a Senior Living Community
If you want to become an occupational therapist in a senior living community, you’ll need some education first. Many OT’s get a Bachelor’s degree, followed by a Master’s degree from an accredited university in Occupational Therapy. Then, you’ll need to pass a national licensure exam from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy to become certified. Finally, you’ll need a license to practice for the state you’ll be working in. Some states may have their own certification exam or process in addition to the NBCOT exam.
Stellar Living Communities often welcome new graduates, so a lack of experience won’t disqualify you. OT’s do also need to have strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills. Other skills that are helpful in becoming an occupational therapist include creative problem-solving, compassion, and patience. Senior Living Community employers are looking for OT’s who are passionate about senior care.
Becoming an Occupational Therapist at a Stellar Senior Living Community
Stellar Senior Living Communities strive to be great places to work. We provide a supportive team environment, where you’ll be listened to and respected. We also have excellent facilities, including state-of-the-art gyms, and opportunities for growth. Stellar values longevity in our employees. Many of our staff members stay with our communities for ten or more years.
Of course, Stellar also offers competitive pay rates (on average $40-50+ per hour), comprehensive benefits, paid time off, retirement plans, continuing education, and professional development. But by far the best part of working at a Stellar Senior Living Community is making a real difference in someone’s life. As an OT, your job is to improve your clients’ quality of life–so you are literally changing lives. The relationships you develop and the growth you’ll witness in your clients is incredibly rewarding.
If you’re ready to apply, chances are there are Stellar Senior Living Occupational Therapist jobs available right now. Go to stellarliving.com/careers to see what’s open in your area! Start your occupational therapy career at Stellar Senior Living today.
