Occupational Therapy News OTnews July 2019 | Page 19

ANNUAL CONFERENCE REPORT
Virtual elephants help improve social functioning for
people with dementia
An MSc student used virtual reality elephants and musicians as tools
to help people living with dementia in a care home.
Richard Short, a post-registration MSc student who is now
working at South West Yorkshire Foundation Trust, told a session
at RCOT’s annual conference about his work with three people in a
residential private care home.
Richard was interested in the work as dementia can diminish
people’s skills for social functioning. ‘People with dementia can be
surrounded by people in care services, but still be lonely,’ he said.
The eight-week intervention sought to improve social functioning
and community engagement for the three participants, all of whom
had Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination scores of under 75.
A PlayStation 4 was used with four different videos, including
a wildlife encounter, a violinist and a pianist, and real and digitally-
generated natural environments.
The results showed progressive positive trends in some
categories, with users willing to express opinions, give information
and get more involved in discussions. Their mood improved both
during the visit and when thinking back on it in follow-up sessions.
And for many it posed a chance to remember old memories, with
participants going on to discuss time spent in Kenya and a visit to an
Andre Rieu concert earlier in life.
Professional leads bring staff together ahead of merger
Two trusts in Gloucestershire have successfully brought together
mental health, physical health and learning disability occupational
therapy staff ahead of a merger, after consultation helped modify
grander plans for integration.
Rebecca Shute, the head of profession at 2gether NHS
Foundation Trust and Trish Dowling, head of profession at
Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust, told a session at
RCOT’s annual conference that the 250-strong occupational
therapist workforce across both services had long wanted to work
together.
Said Rebecca: ‘We heard of stories of an occupational therapist
from one trust leaving the house of a person with dementia and
bumping into an occupational therapist from the other organisation
on their way out.’
The leads drew up grand plans for the next 12 months, including
the return of mixed rotations for band fives; a new practice
development programme; the deployment of tools from RCOT’s
Improving Lives, Saving Money campaign in all services; and robust
sharing of skills.
Said Rebecca: ‘We thought: this is exciting, this is a gift – we got
very excited about it all.’
However, when the plans were presented to clinical leaders,
they questioned how the plans could all be instituted at the same
time as delivering ‘business as usual’ services. In particular, after
an extensive period of service redesign and changes for staff,
they wondered if there could be a problem in bringing together
‘We used generic experiences so participants can
bring their life experiences to bear,’ said Richard.
No participants had problems with differentiating virtual
reality from actual reality, or from motion sickness. Participants
were spoken with throughout the exercises to ensure they
remained safe and comfortable with the work, but all found the
system easy to use.
He suggested it could offer a way to provide stimulation for
people who can’t readily go outside.
the ‘blues’ and the ‘greens’, the lanyard colours from each
trust.
Having spoken with the clinical leaders and the workforce, the
pair decided to refocus on how the workforce could be supported
to feel valued now to ensure they would feel important going forward
with any potential changes.
Adds Rebecca: ‘We didn’t want to increase that sense of being
‘done to’ in the occupational therapy workforce.’
Together, the pair found ways to celebrate the best of
occupational therapy practice. When the area’s integrated care
system held an event for allied health professionals, the pair made
sure that occupational therapy was highly visible. Julia Scott, RCOT
chief executive, also visited a special event to network staff.
Effort was also made to help staff to build relationships and feel
more connected. That included joint leadership meetings; sharing
training and CPD opportunities that already existed within the trust;
sharing contact lists and the a Facebook CPD page; and inviting staff
to shadow other teams.
Crucially, the work was led by staff rather than being issued in
‘top down’ edicts. There was no mandate for the shadowing to take
place so that staff would buy in to the work.
The results have been positive ahead of this autumn’s merger,
with the leads feeling that the staff are ready for whatever changes
may happen in future.
Says Rebecca: ’It’s good to be brave enough to say we didn’t
quite get it right but we’re listening.’
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