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UnityPoint Clinic - Express (Ankeny)

1055 Southwest Oralabor Road
Ankeny, IA 50023

Current Estimated Wait:
0 hr 34 min

UnityPoint Clinic - Express (Jordan Creek)

180 Jordan Creek Parkway
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Current Estimated Wait:
0 hr 9 min

UnityPoint Clinic - Express (Waukee)

950 E Hickman Rd
Waukee, IA 50263

Current Estimated Wait:
0 hr 30 min

UnityPoint Clinic Behavioral Health Urgent Care - Des Moines

1250 East 9th Street
Des Moines, IA 50316

Current Estimated Wait:
0 hr 53 min

UnityPoint Clinic Urgent Care - Altoona

2720 8th Street Southwest
Altoona, IA 50009

Current Estimated Wait:
0 hr 7 min

UnityPoint Clinic Urgent Care - Ankeny Medical Park

3625 North Ankeny Boulevard
Ankeny, IA 50023

Current Estimated Wait:
0 hr 40 min

UnityPoint Clinic Urgent Care - Ingersoll

2103 Ingersoll Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50312

Current Estimated Wait:
2 hr 9 min

UnityPoint Clinic Urgent Care - Lakeview

6000 University Avenue
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Current Estimated Wait:
0 hr 12 min

UnityPoint Clinic Urgent Care - Southglen

6520 Southeast 14th Street
Des Moines, IA 50320

Current Estimated Wait:
1 hr 37 min

UnityPoint Clinic Urgent Care - Urbandale

5200 NW 100th Street
Urbandale, IA 50322

Current Estimated Wait:
3 hr 27 min
Occupational therapy at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines

Occupational Therapy at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines

What is occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy (OT) treatment helps individuals who have a physical, sensory or cognitive disability live an independent life as much as possible. Occupational therapists help people participate in the things they want or need to do through the use of activities. This could mean helping injured individuals recover their skills, or helping older adults who are experiencing cognitive or physical changes.

Occupational Therapy Locations

At UnityPoint Health - Des Moines, we offer rehabilitation to meet everyone's needs. Our individualized care is 1:1 therapist to patient. Care is provided on an outpatient basis, however, our occupational therapists are located at the following clinics throughout the Des Moines metro:

The Difference Between Occupational and Physical Therapy

There is a difference between physical and occupational therapy. The treatments improve a person's quality of life. PT focuses on joint range of motion, gross motor functioning, strength and pain, while OT focuses on fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, visual-perceptual skills and sensory-processing.

Blank Children's Hospital offers a full range of therapy services for inpatient and outpatient care for infants, children and teens who have an injury, developmental condition or illness. Our services include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and audiology.

Where is occupational therapy offered?

OT can be provided in a variety of settings. These settings include:

  • Private therapy settings
  • Group therapy settings
  • Hospitals
  • Community-based outpatient clinics
  • Residences
  • Long-term care facilities (skilled nursing, rehabilitation centers, senior living facilities)
  • Clinics

Who needs outpatient occupational therapy?

People of all ages can benefit from OT. Not only does occupational therapy benefit a person's well being, but also can address social, environmental psychological factors that affect function.

Certain medical conditions and injuries can benefit from treatment from occupational therapists:

  • Mental health problems
  • Stroke or heart attack survivors
  • Head injuries
  • Arthritis, MS or permanent disabilities
  • Burns
  • Spinal cord trauma
  • Amputees or those with prosthetics
  • Sensory disorders

For aging adults, occupational therapy helps them safely do things they like to do. This could be different tasks around the home, Alzheimer's care, recovering from a stroke or living with arthritis.

What to Expect in an Occupational Therapy Appointment

While it varies from person-to-person, there are a few things a person can expect when they begin meeting with an occupational therapist. To begin, he or she will undergo an individualized evaluation which will help determine the goals of the patient. Depending on the needs of the individual, the occupational therapist may also perform an evaluation of the environments a person may regularly be in, like a home, school or workplace.

Throughout outpatient occupational therapy, there may be outcome evaluations to ensure that goals are being met, and if not, make updates or changes to the treatment plan.