Occupational Therapy News OTNews March 2020 | Page 18

FEATURE HEALTH AND WELLBEING
to signpost people to. The fact is that they have got over the
threshold of the door and engaged with the occupier, why not see
if there’s something else they can do while they’re there?’
All those interviewed here agreed on the scope for reciprocal
training to ensure firefighters and occupational therapists learn of
the importance of each other’s work.
Making fire risk everybody’s business
There is one other major area that fire services and
occupational therapists have in common: equipment.
Fire services commission a surprisingly wide array
of materials, and Sarah recommends checking to
see that what is issued is appropriate, such
as larger ash trays, flame retardant bedding
and throws, and alternative smoke alarms for
people with vision and hearing impairments.
Members can then take a risk-positive
approach to what is issued – something But working with fire services is not just about how they can
work differently. All those people who spoke to OTnews suggest
there is scope for occupational therapists to do some fire risk
assessment when they visit homes.
Says Sarah: ‘I think I want to get across to people that as
occupational therapists we’re in a privileged position that when
we go out we can see how someone is living, but that we may
be the only people who see that property. It needs to be on
everyone’s radar and everyone’s responsibility to check the
smoke alarm, and to make sure the person knows what to do if
the alarm activates.
‘To me, they would be real top tips to add to our
routine home assessment work regardless of
which clinical area somebody is working in. It
will take minutes in a visit.’
Matthew adds that having some
detail for any potential referral can
that can be different to the traditional risk
elimination approach of the
fire service.
Says Sarah: ‘If someone has a
slightly more unusual item that they
need, the fire service is such a
can-do organisation. I had a lady
who was smoking and was
struggling to hold the cigarette
and was dropping them on
the floor, causing scorch
marks.
‘It was a fire risk, but for
her it was a really valued
occupation. It’s how you
can work with that person
and what we did for her
was a smoker’s apron that
she could wear, so that if
she dropped it the apron
was flame retardant and she
would be safer than without it.
‘Ideally she would stop
smoking, but she values it and she’s
not going to stop, and to work in a
person-centred way then you help people do
what they want to do.’
Kitchens are another space where positive risk can be
taken. Fire services often isolate or remove cookers, but that can
take away a key role, particular for older females.
Occupational therapists can find a different way to allow them
to cook differently or with supervision, says Sarah. By contrast,
deep fat fryers are often introduced by fire and rescue services
– but they can be totally new to people for whom it could be a
waste of resource or used incorrectly. make a big difference too. ‘It
is useful to have some detail
on the level of fire risk on
the occupational therapy
assessments,’ he says.
‘Are there working
smoke alarms, are they a
smoker, do they have a
gas cooker? If we have
information beforehand,
we can assess the level
of risk more effectively.
When you visit a
person at home, just
test the smoke alarm
– if it doesn’t work,
providing you have the
occupant’s consent,
contact the fire service
to make a referral or ask
for advice.’
In short, there are a
lot of potential ways for
occupational therapy and fire
services to work more closely
together, with huge benefits for both
sides.
Says Sarah: ‘It’s catastrophic to not do it. It’s one
of those things that you can think ‘it’s not my business’. Look
at the risk indicators and they are absolutely an occupational
therapist’s business.’
Read RCOT’s report on working with fire services at:
www.rcot.co.uk/ilsm. For more information contact lauren.walker@
rcot.co.uk. Lauren also recommends this free training on fire
safety: www.tsa-voice.org.uk/training-services/fire-safety-course.
Sharing knowledge on equipment
18 OTnews March 2020
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