Liability considerations in the occupational therapy practice environment

Occupational therapy as a complex service to patients requires of the therapist both creativity and the ability not only to accept the law and regulations but to exploit them for the freedoms they provide. This paper acknowledges this dual concern and offers some legal guidelines for dealing with it. It then explores the more important legal responsibilities of therapists in relation to the physical environment of patients. Included are facilities and equipment in the institution, in the community and in the home. Then it discusses practices and procedures which should be observed in providing legal health care. Some legal doctrines used by plaintiffs are described with recommendations for practices which should enable personnel to avoid most environment-related litigation.