How occupational therapists can help with wellness center design by Laurel Cargill Radley, MS, OTR

When occupational therapists Marge Moffett Boyd and Jan Garbarini approached the administrator for a community of retired nuns on the Dominican College campus in Orangeburg, New York, they sought to collaborate on the development of St. Martin de Porres Wellness Center. First, however, they had to educate the Center’s personnel about what occupational therapy could bring to the lives of its residents.

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants (collectively referred to as “practitioners”) are concerned with:

• maximizing ability throughout the life span; and
• enabling participation in activities that have personal meaning (occupations).

So it’s no surprise that practitioners often partner with seemingly unlikely colleagues in a wide variety of settings—from teachers and physicians, to builders and architects.