Van der Wath Occupational Therapy Inc.

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Van der Wath Occupational Therapy Inc.

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01/09/2026

🌸☀️ Here comes the sun… and a little Spring Day joy! 🌷

We celebrated the start of spring by spreading some colour, creativity and flower love. 💐

At Oasis, our Spring Day group got creative making their own beautiful flower vases — a meaningful activity filled with connection, conversation and plenty of smiles. 🌼

We also shared the flower love with our patients recovering in hospital, adding a little brightness to their rooms and their day. 💚

Because sometimes the smallest things can bring a little hope, joy and sunshine along the road to recovery. ☀️🌱

Happy Spring Day from the Van der Wath OT team! 🌸

31/08/2026

OT Abbreviations Explained | Levels of Assistance 💚

What does your OT mean when they write Min A, Mod A or Max A in your notes?

These terms describe how much of an activity a person can complete themselves and how much assistance they require from another person.

🟢 I – Independent: Completes the activity safely without help
🟢 S – Supervision/Set-up: No physical help, but may need supervision, cueing or preparation
🟢 Min A – Minimal Assistance: Person completes ≥75% of the task
🟢 Mod A – Moderate Assistance: Person completes 50–74%
🟢 Max A – Maximum Assistance: Person completes 25–49%
🟢 Total A / Dependent: Person completes

28/08/2026

Last night we traded our therapy tools for paintbrushes and joined Paint & Pretzels for a much-needed evening of creativity and a little friendly comparison of our artistic skills! 🐬🎨

Grateful for this team — not only for how well we work together, but for the support, laughs and encouragement we share along the way. 💚

It was lovely to switch off, do something completely different and just enjoy being creative together.

And we have to say… we’re pretty impressed with our dolphins! 🐬✨

24/08/2026

MoCA vs MMSE: They’re not interchangeable. 🧠

When assessing cognition, choosing the right screening tool matters.

Both the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) are widely used cognitive screening assessments—but they measure cognitive function in slightly different ways and are designed for different clinical purposes.

🟢 MoCA is more sensitive to subtle cognitive changes and mild cognitive impairment. It evaluates areas such as executive functioning, attention, visuospatial skills, language, memory, and orientation.

🟢 MMSE is a quicker screening tool that focuses on orientation, attention, memory, language, and recall, making it useful in identifying more established cognitive impairment.

As Occupational Therapists, we don’t simply choose a test—we choose the assessment that best answers the clinical question and helps guide meaningful intervention.

Remember: A screening tool is just one part of a comprehensive occupational therapy assessment. Your medical history, functional abilities, daily activities, and goals are equally important in understanding how cognition impacts everyday life.

20/08/2026

🏡 Home isn’t just a destination—it’s part of the rehabilitation process.

Today’s home visit focused on ensuring this patient can return home safely and confidently after discharge. ✔️

Simple modifications like a shower chair, secure grab rails, and the right bathroom setup can make a huge difference in reducing falls, promoting independence, and giving both patients and their families peace of mind.

As Occupational Therapists, we don’t just treat the person—we assess the environment they’ll be returning to. A well-planned home setup supports recovery, enables independence, and helps people get back to doing the activities that matter most.

Every home is different, and every recommendation is tailored to the individual’s needs.

💚Safe home. Safe recovery. Better outcomes.

17/08/2026

Move with confidence! 💪

Ever heard your therapist mention AROM or PROM and wondered what they mean? Understanding these two types of movement can help you better understand your rehabilitation journey.

🟢 AROM (Active Range of Motion) – You move the joint yourself using your own muscles. This helps improve strength, coordination, and functional movement.

🟢 PROM (Passive Range of Motion) – A therapist, caregiver, or device moves the joint while your muscles stay relaxed. This helps maintain flexibility, reduce stiffness, and protect joint mobility when active movement isn’t yet possible.

✨ Both are valuable and often work together throughout rehabilitation, depending on your condition and recovery goals.

14/08/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday, Gaby! 🎉

Our To-Do List Queen 👑📝 and one of the most organised, caring and dedicated OTs around! 💛

Gaby goes the extra mile for every patient, always gives 100%, and is forever learning and growing. Her attention to detail, caring heart and willingness to help make her such a valuable part of our team.

We are so grateful to have you as part of the VDW OT family! 🥰

Wishing you the happiest birthday, Gaby! May your day be as wonderful, organised and productive as your to-do lists! 😂🎂✨

We appreciate you more than you know! 💕

11/08/2026

🃏 To the patient: “We’re just sorting cards.”
🧠 To the Occupational Therapist: We’re assessing and treating so much more.

At first glance, this activity looks simple.

The patient sorts playing cards into four suits while simultaneously naming items from different categories (🍎 fruits, 🐘 animals, 🌍 countries…).

But beneath the surface, this single activity challenges multiple cognitive and physical skills at the same time.

We’re working on:
🧠 Divided attention – managing two tasks simultaneously.
💭 Working memory – remembering the category while continuing the sorting task.
🎯 Sustained attention – staying focused without losing track.
⚡ Information processing speed – responding efficiently as the task continues.
🔄 Information processing capacity – handling increasing cognitive demands without becoming overwhelmed.

For this particular patient, there was another important rehabilitation goal…

✋ Every card was picked up using a lateral pinch (key pinch) grip with the affected hand, before being turned over and placed in the correct pile. That means we were also addressing:
• Fine motor control
• Pinch strength
• Hand dexterity
• Motor planning
• Functional use of the affected upper limb
• Bilateral hand integration

This is the beauty of OT.

What looks like a simple card game is actually a carefully graded intervention designed to improve the cognitive and physical skills needed for everyday life.

Because rehabilitation isn’t about practising cards…
It’s about rebuilding the skills needed to return to work, prepare meals, manage conversations, drive, parent, and live independently.

💚Occupation has purpose. Every activity has intention.

09/08/2026

🌸 Happy Women’s Day! 🌸

Today we celebrate the incredible women who inspire, nurture, lead, support and make a difference every single day. 💚

At Van der Wath Occupational Therapy, we recognise the strength and resilience of the women we have the privilege of working with — every step forward, every challenge overcome, and every achievement matters.

✨ You are strong. You are capable. You are valued. You are enough.

Here’s to celebrating women — today and every day! 🌿

05/08/2026

OT Abbreviations Explained | ADLs vs IADLs 🧠

Have you ever heard your Occupational Therapist mention ADLs or IADLs and wondered what they mean?

These two terms are central to how OTs assess independence and plan rehabilitation.

🛁 ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) are the basic self-care tasks we all need to do every day, including:
• Bathing
• Dressing
• Eating
• Toileting
• Grooming

🏡 IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) are the more complex tasks that allow us to live independently in our homes and communities, such as:
• Cooking
• Shopping
• Managing medication
• Housekeeping
• Managing finances
• Driving or using transport

Following a stroke, brain injury, surgery, neurological condition or illness, these everyday activities can become challenging. Occupational Therapists assess both ADLs and IADLs to identify where support is needed and develop personalised strategies to help people regain independence and confidence.

✨ Our goal isn’t just recovery—it’s helping you return to the activities that matter most.

💬 Which of these activities would be the most important for you to regain if you couldn’t do them independently?

Address

Unit 4 Sunningdale Suites Business Park, 12 Wildwood Close Sunningdale
Cape Town
7441

Telephone

+27662005769

Website

http://Www.otblouberg.co.za/

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