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Occupational Therapist Assistant Overview - Preparation - Day In The Life - Earnings - Employment - Career Path Forecast - Professional Organizationst


Career Path Forecast
Employment of occupational therapy assistants is projected to grow 43 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.

 

Employment of occupational therapy aides is projected to grow 31 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. However, because it is a small occupation, the fast growth will result in only about 2,700 new jobs over the 10-year period.

 

Demand for occupational therapy is likely to grow over the coming decade in response to the health needs of the aging baby-boom generation and a growing elderly population. Older adults are more prone than younger people to conditions and ailments such as arthritis and stroke. These conditions can affect one’s ability to perform a variety of everyday activities. Occupational therapy assistants and aides will be needed to help occupational therapists in caring for these patients. Occupational therapy will also continue to be used to treat children and young adults with developmental disabilities, such as autism.

 

In addition, demand for occupational therapy assistants is likely to stem from healthcare providers (especially long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes) employing more assistants to reduce the cost of occupational therapy services. After the therapist has evaluated a patient and designed a treatment plan, the occupational therapy assistant can provide many aspects of the treatment that the therapist prescribed.

Demand for occupational therapy services is related to the ability of patients to pay, either directly or through health insurance. The number of individuals who have access to health insurance is expected to continue to increase because of federal health insurance reform. Both rehabilitation and habilitation services are included among essential health benefits to be covered by insurers; however, coverage may vary by state. Occupational therapy assistants and aides will be needed to help therapists treat additional patients and to ensure that treatment facility operations run smoothly.

Occupational therapy assistants and aides with experience working in an occupational therapy office or other healthcare setting should have the best job opportunities. However, occupational therapy aides may face strong competition from the large pool of qualified people, because requirements for entry are low.

Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.


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