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Riverside occupational therapy maintains staffing; department billed an estimated $76,000 last year
Summary
Riverside occupational therapy director told commissioners the department of two full‑time OTs performs bedside swallowing assessments and other services, and staff reported roughly $76,000 in billable revenue beyond the base nursing rate through December projections.
Christine Tiernan, occupational therapy director at Riverside, presented the occupational therapy budget and services to Strafford County commissioners. Tiernan said the OT team consists of two full‑time therapists who perform evaluations on admission, swallowing assessments (using a contracted dysphagia tool) and individualized adaptive services that support residents’ daily living tasks.
Tiernan explained the swallowing assessments are performed at bedside with a small endoscopic tool that provides physicians and families with real‑time diagnostic information to set safe food textures and liquid consistencies. She said residents generally appreciate being assessed in their rooms and that the procedure, while uncomfortable for some, helps reduce aspiration risk and guides clinical decisions.
County staff noted that work falling outside the daily nursing home rate generated roughly $76,000 in billings through the end of December and that the occupational therapy budget shows no increase from last year overall. Commissioners asked about why some budget lines appeared underspent; staff explained salary allocations are split across multiple department budgets and Q3 reporting may not reflect final year‑end totals.
No staffing increases were requested; staff said an anticipated small decrease in the OT budget compared with last year reflected shifting allocations rather than service reductions.
