ILOTA Communique December 2017 Communique | Page 5

October / November / December • Issue 4 • 2017
Finding purpose through occupational therapy , continued from Page 4
unfamiliar situations. Staff supported Sam in decreasing
his vulnerability in the community, and facilitated use of a
low vision bill sorting technique to support more effective
money management in natural environments, most
importantly, at the coffee shop. Through engagement in
meaningful occupations, Sam presented with increased
motivation and determination to reconstruct his everyday
roles and routines. He was now ready to transition to a
more independent living environment.
The transition from a nursing home to either
independent living or supported living in the community
is both an exciting and anxiety-provoking time for most
clients. In Sam’s case, his transition was from the nursing
home to a group home, which is designed to provide
clients with assistance with medication management,
budgeting, case management for appointments and any
other support that client may need while living in the
community. The OT working with Sam, recognized
the importance of Sam maintaining his independence,
despite the support he was receiving from the group
home staff. Sam had a personal goal to learn his new
neighborhood so he could go grocery shopping, take
public transportation, go to local restaurants and explore
the community independently. With OT, Sam learned
landmarks in the neighborhood to help guide him to
preferred locations, he learned how to walk to the “L”
stop and bus stop and learned to independently walk to
the local grocery store.
It had been quite some time since Sam had to
complete laundry and meal preparation on his own.
The OT working with him oriented him to the washer
and dryer and collaborated to identify modifications,
specifically adding tactile bumps to the machines where
he felt they would be most beneficial. Staff educated Sam
as well as the group home staff on strategies to increase
his independence with laundry, such as using detergent
pods in order to avoid spilling detergent and easing the
process of carrying laundry supplies to the basement
while using his walking cane.
Sam had limited experience preparing meals for
himself using the stove or the microwave and was
motivated to learn how to brew himself a hot cup of coffee.
Sam had to generalize the skills learned pre-transition
and apply them to an unfamiliar environment, which
required significant prompting for sequencing the steps
of the task and problem solving for safety concerns.
Sam and his OT consulted with an outside assistive
technology unit to identify and link him to assistive
technology and equipment to maximize independence
with daily tasks. This agency provided Sam with a
variety of cooking tools to assist him with safe meal
preparation, and a smartphone that has screen reader
technology for the visually impaired. This opened a
world of opportunity for Sam, as he was now able to
access the community with increased independence and
confidence. Sam and his OT continue to collaborate to
identify barriers to engaging in meaningful occupations
and continue to develop structure and routine to support
a new sense of purpose and direction.
Here at Trilogy, we often see the benefit of providing
occupational therapy services to individuals transitioning
to independent living. The benefit of skill building and
assessment by an OT was evident in Sam’s transition.
Sam faced unique challenges in managing symptoms
of mental illness, physical health concerns and vision
loss, while transitioning to an unfamiliar environment.
With the support of his transition staff, occupational
therapists, and community outreach workers, Sam was
given the opportunity to re-establish a sense of purpose,
life direction, and a home brewed cup of coffee.
About the Authors
Jamie Angell is an occupational therapist Trilogy
Behavioral Healthcare, working with individuals
with mental illness to support successful independent
living and participation in meaningful activities in
the community. Jamie works with clients in both
independent living and in group home settings.
Jamie Rotter, OTR/L, QMHP is the lead occupational
therapist for Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare in Chicago.
Jamie is part of an innovative program which provides
the opportunity for adults with mental illness to gain the
skills necessary to participate in meaningful activities.
Katie Nagy OTR/L QMHP is an occupational
therapist for Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare in Chicago,
working with individuals with mental illness to support
creation and maintenance of a meaningful routine in a
community environment.
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