"As an Occupational Therapist I help people to achieve their goals – be that getting from A to B, or transferring from chair to chair." - Emily
This Occupational Therapy Week, Occupational Therapist Emily & Day Services Manager David tell us more about their roles.
Emily said: “People are often surprised that I support people receiving hospice care to go home. It’s a common misconception that a Hospice is a place where you go at the end of life. Alongside care for those very last days, we also help people manage their symptoms and chat about what’s needed to get them back home safely and confident they can keep doing the things they want to keep doing.”
“As an Occupational Therapist I help people to achieve their goals – be that getting from A to B, or transferring from chair to chair. When I meet with a patient we chat about their goals and how we can help make them happen. I usually carry out a home visit to see if any adaptations can be made to help them manage daily. The groups we deliver within the Living Well Centre help to increase wellbeing and ability to do day-to-day tasks when at home, as well as to be with others in a similar situation. The groups are quite lively which again can be quite unexpected for a Hospice.”
David shared: “People often mix up Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. They work together very well by providing different things for patients and families. We have a hugely varied team here at St Cuthbert’s and our Occupational Therapist can work alongside the nursing teams, Physiotherapist, Social Workers and Counsellors. In a hospice setting Occupational Therapy helps people to have a good end of life by still being able to do the things that mean the most to them. This could be by using equipment tailored to help to get in and out of their home more easily, or it could be helping to conserve energy for the activities they want to be able to do.”
“Patients can experience the feeling of loss when their abilities change due to an illness, their families are preparing for a loss and that can be overwhelming for them. My background is in Occupational Therapy, this helps me to work with staff, patients and families, to identify areas where we can support people to work through these feelings. Small changes can have a big impact, which is really important at Hospice.”
#OTWEEK24
Occupational Therapy Week (OT Week) is The Royal College of Occupational Therapist’s national awareness-raising campaign dedicated to celebrating the life-changing power of occupational therapy. Occupational therapy (OT) enables people to do the occupations (activities) they want, need and like to do, and helps them manage their health and care needs. Occupations are meaningful activities that support physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
