Occupational Therapists (OTs) at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust will be sharing important ‘life hacks’ as part of Occupational Therapy Week 2022 (7-13 November).
As part of the new campaign led by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, staff will be encouraging patients and colleagues to ‘Lift Up Your Everyday’ – sharing advice on how to complete everyday tasks and overcome challenges. Tips posted on the Trust’s social media accounts (@WalsallHCareNHS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) will include ‘Use a clothes drier outside rather than washing line if you are struggling with mobility’ and ‘use products with compartments like an egg carton to store and separate medication’.
This week Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is recognising the incredible impact of its OTs, of which there are 16 different teams working across 12 different specialities – all supporting a variety of patients in hospital and community settings.
Accidents, illness, disability, mental health issues and ageing can often make it difficult to do everyday things but, with the support of the wider nursing/medical teams, the OTs help patients to live as fully and independently as possible. This sometimes involves learning new ways to do things, or recommending changes to the patient’s home/living environment.
Occupational therapy also factors as an important part of end-of-life care. Palliative rehabilitation, which takes place at home, in hospital, at the Trust’s Palliative Care Centre and in the Trust’s Day Hospice, helps those who are experiencing functional difficulties as a result of their disease progression. Here the teams help with everything from fatigue and symptom management to arranging psychological and social support for the patient and their families/carers.
Matthew Craven, Associate Director for AHPs, said: “Following occupational therapy, our patients should have a sense of achievement and be given the confidence to complete day-to-day tasks. Our OTs find solutions to problems – from introducing assistive technology to exploring living adaptations such as level access showers or stair lifts. The difference they make is incredible and I’d like to thank them for their hard work, each and every day to improve the lives of our patients.”
To find out more about the campaign visit www.rcot.co.uk/occupational-therapy-week-2022
Those interested in a career in occupational therapy can find out more on the NHS Careers website.