Occupational therapists play an important role in the healthcare sector. They help people after injuries or strokes to improve their ability to act and move and to regain their independence. They work with patients to train them to walk, get dressed, eat or carry out everyday activities. Occupational therapists work with children as well as older people - for example after bone fractures, with osteoarthritis or Parkinson's disease.
The demand for occupational therapy treatments is increasing. This is because the population is getting older and older, while developmental disorders in children are also on the rise. However, too few young people are entering this profession in Germany. The shortage of specialists in the field of occupational therapy is just as dramatic as in nursing and physiotherapy. This leads to long waiting times for patients and a poor supply situation.
We at TalentOrange have therefore started to recruit occupational therapists from abroad. We use our many years of experience in selecting and training international nursing staff. Both professions require state recognition and an adaptation period with the new employer in Germany.
Luis Daniel Romero Guerrero from Colombia is one of our first occupational therapists. He has been working on the geriatric ward and in the day clinic at St. Vinzenz-Krankenhaus Hanau since May 2024. The team of therapists consists of a total of 22 employees, both physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Two international specialists are currently completing their accreditation in the St. Vinzenz therapy team. Luis Daniel Romero Guerrero is one of them. He loves his work. In Cali at the Universidad del Valle, one of the most prestigious universities in the country, he was one of the best graduates in his year with a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy. At the same time, he started learning languages because he wanted to work abroad one day. With the TalentOrange program, he passed the B2 exam in German. He now lives in Hanau and is happy to have made the move to Germany. His patients are grateful for the empathy, kindness and patience he shows them. Here he is practising moving from the shoulder joint with a patient. “He does it so well,” says the woman. Luis Daniel smiles and returns the praise directly to her. He works with eight to ten patients a day. We suspect that quite a few of them have already taken him to their hearts after a short time.