Rehabilitation assistants assist therapists, orient patients, perform therapy techniques, and carry out administrative tasks. A high school diploma is usually required, but further education is common. They work with a variety of therapists and may teach life skills, physical activities, and help with meal planning. Administrative tasks are also part of the job. Good communication skills are essential.
A rehabilitation assistant performs a variety of tasks, including assisting therapists, orienting patients, performing therapy techniques in recovering patients, and various administrative tasks. Requirements for this profession vary depending on location, but a high school diploma is almost always required. Due to the rehab assistant’s involvement with patients, many continue their education and train in a medical field. In addition to physical activities with patients, a rehabilitation assistant is usually involved in healing the entire patient and not just the physical afflictions.
This position is usually part of a medical team and is supervised by the primary therapist. Some assistants work for a variety of therapists, which may include speech therapists (SLP), physical therapists (PT), or occupational therapists (OT). The type of therapy prescribed is often decided by the interim therapist and carried out by the rehabilitation assistant. Some of these tasks may include teaching the patient life skills such as eating, bathing, dressing, writing, reading, and math. Therapy is usually based on the severity and type of injury, and some patients will undergo physical, mental, cognitive, and communication rehabilitation.
Life skills are just one part of this profession, and an assistant is also responsible for the patients’ physical activities. Physical therapy is usually provided in the office, but the assistant will also need to review exercises that should be performed at home with the patient. Safety procedures are very important because there are certain activities that must be supervised and home therapy is generally less strenuous. The assistant may also need to help the patient with meal planning and other housekeeping techniques. Some of these patients may need to relearn how to perform a variety of tasks, taking their disability into account, and this is one of the main goals of a rehabilitation assistant.
In order to work for a variety of therapists, students often require a degree because there is no general set of requirements that can be covered by experience alone. A rehab assistant will need to be extremely familiar with different aspects of therapy, and there are programs designed to teach and train assistants in a variety of fields. Administrative functions may include scheduling appointments, maintaining supply inventory, data entry, filing, and similar office tasks. Assistants must be attentive, patient and have excellent communication skills, as the profession requires constant communication with patients and medical professionals.
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