Occupational therapists work with people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, in many different situations.

Variety of Clientele

Because of the medium that occupational therapists use for therapy, purposeful activity, it can be adjusted for people of all ages, walks of life, and levels of ability. Occupational therapists can be seen working with premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital, with children at a camp for the disabled, doing consultative work for a company on how to make their building more accessible, or with a middle-aged person receiving care from hospice. At the later end of life, occupational therapists are seen providing help with independent living skills after a fall, building cognitive skills after a stroke, or home health care through the local agency.

Service Delivery

Occupational therapists can work with clients both directly and indirectly. Direct services are where a therapist works one on one with a client on goals for a therapeutic outcome. These services are the typical therapy services that one thinks of when receiving therapy. Consultative services involve working with a client to still achieve a therapeutic outcome, but it is usually from providing services indirectly. This can include adapting equipment, developing daily therapy plans that are carried out at home, or making an area more accessible (Sandler, 1997).