Taking on new tasks to cut home visits
Occupational therapists in the South Lakes rapid response
team, based in Kendal, have been undertaking new tasks to
help to cut down on the number of visits that those who are
shielding will need.
While much work for occupational therapists has shifted to
online platforms, there remain many tasks that still need to be
done in person. The South Lakes team, for example, support
on adaptations and support discharge and rehabilitation in the
community, much of which still involves going to someone’s
house.
However, a person who is self-isolating could have many
professionals come into their home. Even if they are all wearing
personal protective equipment, that still poses a major stressor
for people to have in their own homes.
The South Lakes team of nurses, healthcare assistants and
occupational therapists sat down together to see if there were
tasks they could pick up to reduce the overall number of visits.
As a results, occupational therapists can now make
clinical observations, checking pressure areas, swabbing for
COVID-19 when needed and widening assessments of an
individual’s ability to self-manage their medication. Nurses,
meanwhile, are undertaking some environmental assessments.
Donna Malcolm, an occupational therapist with University
Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, said:
‘As well as helping to reduce the number of people going into
someone’s home, we cover a large, rural area and so by doing
this we can save a lot in travel time, especially as the demand
on our services has increased.
‘We had training on taking observations and pressure care –
both with the nurses and online – and we joined them for their
training on swabbing.
‘During the first couple of visits it can be a bit scary as
you’re doing something you don’t know and you’re doing
something new. But after the first couple of times of doing
it you grow in confidence. We will keep the occupational
therapists doing the observations as it’s just a good use of our
resources.’
Donna recommends sitting down with colleagues on
multidisciplinary team to work out if any tasks can be picked
up by other professionals to help cut down visits.