Mercy Health Love County - News

Occupational Therapy Aids Independent Living

Posted on Friday, May 9th, 2014

Since 2010, the hospital has provided an expansive therapy building filled with exercise, cardio workout, and rehabilitative equipment. Patients train to restore function to muscles, joints, or other injured or diseased body parts on a pace and schedule specially designed for their needs.
 
But the occupational, physical, and speech therapists are just as likely to be found working with bed patients in the hospital wing and even in the public schools, as they travel to Marietta, Thackerville, Greenville, and Turner schools to aid students with developmental delays or diagnosed disabilities.
 
Occupational therapy is focused on helping people live as independently as possible, able to dress, cook, eat, and groom on their own or using assistive devices such as braces, splints, or wheelchairs. “I help people get on with life with deficits,” says Latronda Lornes (below), a valued coworker in the therapy department.
 

Latronda Lornes, COTA. 
 
The reward of the job for this Certified
Occupational Therapy Assistant is
"the end product -- seeing a patient
walking or driving on their own"
who was unable before. 
 
She has 12 years in the field, the
last six at Mercy Health/Love County,
working in coordination with Ted
Phelan, OTR, of Odyssey Healthcare,
Ardmore.
 
The recreational runner graduated
from Marietta High School in 1996.
Her mother, Dorothy Lornes,
is a member of the Hospital
Auxiliary, "Pink Ladies." 
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