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When everyday skills become tough, occupational therapists step in
Alex started his professional life in sales, but after a trip overseas visiting a school that supports children with special needs, he decided to take his career in a different direction and look for a way to help others.
That led him to occupational therapy. Alex, a Virginia Beach native, born at Virginia Beach General before it was a Sentara hospital, has worked with Sentara for more than five years.
OTs teach skills like getting dressed, brushing teeth, bathing, eating, improving hand-eye coordination and balance, using adaptive medical equipment and holding a pencil or pen to write, for example, Alex explains.
There are a lot of other nuances I enjoy about this profession, like helping patients with assistive technology, adapting equipment and providing creative solutions,” Alex points out.
Alex joins several family members at Sentara: his sister-in-law Danielle, a PT in Virginia Beach home care; three cousins, Travis, Kiel and Sarah, who are all nurses at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where Alex worked before starting home care.
“It makes a lot of sense to work with people inside their homes, particularly when evaluating their daily habits and routines, good ‘ole ADLs (activities of daily living),” he says. “It’s tough to see the real picture in a clinical setting.”
Watching his patients improve brings him a lot of joy and satisfaction.
“There are intangible rewards daily,” remarks Alex, who’s married with two little boys. “When someone you’ve been working alongside meets a personal goal and has gotten there with your support, it feels like a personal win, too.”
Alex burns off steam a couple of evenings a week at a local climbing gym. He’s a fan of all things outdoors – like rock climbing, skating, surfing, snowboarding, hiking and golfing. He also managed to build his 2-year-old a cool treehouse in the backyard.
When everyday skills become tough, occupational therapists step in
Alex started his professional life in sales, but after a trip overseas visiting a school that supports children with special needs, he decided to take his career in a different direction and look for a way to help others.
That led him to occupational therapy. Alex, a Virginia Beach native, born at Virginia Beach General before it was a Sentara hospital, has worked with Sentara for more than five years.
OTs teach skills like getting dressed, brushing teeth, bathing, eating, improving hand-eye coordination and balance, using adaptive medical equipment and holding a pencil or pen to write, for example, Alex explains.
There are a lot of other nuances I enjoy about this profession, like helping patients with assistive technology, adapting equipment and providing creative solutions,” Alex points out.
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