Occupational Therapy News OTNews March 2020 | Page 31

COMMUNITY SERVICES FEATURE
enjoy new activities, develop confidence and feel empowered to
take control of their lives, while being able to access the appropriate
services at the right time.
Social prescribing focuses on the key component of prevention,
rather than reactive care (RSPH 2019; The King’s Fund 2017).
Having worked in the community for many years, the focus has
been on the reactive (admission avoidance) rather than the pro-
active (preventive self-management and education of long-term
conditions using occupations).
Occupational therapists are experts in occupation, supporting
others to be able to do the everyday activities they need or want to
do, maximising their quality of life. Occupational therapists look at
the person, environment and the task performed within the realms of
self-care, productivity and leisure.
Personalised care plans focus on people’s strengths; this
personalised approach is intrinsic to the occupational therapy
profession and always has been (Cooper 2019).
During Occupational Therapy
‘‘
Some patients contributed lovely heartfelt messages to our
‘gratitude tree’, inspired by research that shows that that expressing
gratitude is closely associated with life satisfaction and engaging
in creative activities can evoke feelings of positive emotion,
engagement, positive relationships and a sense of achievement
(Seligman 2011).
Occupational balance
A middle-aged lady said she had never heard of occupational
therapy, although she was an activities co-ordinator at a care home.
She felt she experienced low mood and lack of motivation, due to
ongoing bouts of depression.
The Canadian Occupational Performance Model (Law et al 1998)
sees spirituality at the centre of the person, which is often ignored
by healthcare professionals, yet it influences patients’ treatment,
therapy, and rehabilitation.
After all, we are dynamic beings who require input into many
different areas, rather than just our diagnoses.
Week, we created a stand in the GP
Although anti-depressants can be used
practice waiting room, decorated
as part of an overall treatment plan for
with fresh flowers, ballet shoes, a
depression, the Royal College of
pom-pom crafting trolley, hand-
Psychiatrists (2019) does not promote
By starting friendly
made crafts and wellbeing books, as well
their routine use. Furthermore,
conversations, we
as RCOT promotional goods.
Wilcock (2006) says that our idea of
re-discovered the power of
Our aim was to promote RCOT’s
occupational wellness should not be
Small Change, Big Impact campaign,
constrained
by medical diagnosis.
true person-centred practice
using the core occupational therapy
She says there is currently an
with individuals.
skills of discovering wellbeing through
epidemic of social, political and economic
doing and creativity, based on occupational
issues that affect people’s capacities
science studies such as Wilcock (2006), who
for occupation (and therefore their mental
says that meaningful occupations can be an
health) all over the world. Simply prescribing
agent for change in people’s lives, and Cantu and
anti-depressants with no other treatment has often
Fleuriet’s (2018) finding that engaging in creative activities
been likened to sticking a plaster over symptoms whose
can improve individuals’ perspectives of their wellbeing and enhance
causes are arguably more systemic in nature.
cognitive focus.
Considering this, we spoke with the lady about reconnecting
We hoped that by highlighting the vital work occupational
with herself spiritually by thinking of an action to bring her joy. She
therapists do in leading non-medical interventions, we would appeal
thought about this and decided to reach out to a close friend after
to the estimated 20 per cent of patients who attend the GP surgery
her GP appointment.
with social related concerns.
Additionally, we envisioned taking some of the pressure off other
Social isolation
frontline NHS staff in an ever-challenging economic climate. A study
A young woman from Bulgaria told us that she had no idea what
of one social prescribing scheme in Rotherham showed that, for
occupational therapists do and found the UK medical system
more than eight in 10 people referred to the scheme, there were
frustrating, as she felt she was not listened to. She wanted a
reductions in accident and emergency visits, as well as inpatient
prescription for the correct antibiotics, as her illness meant she was
admissions and outpatient appointments (The King’s Fund 2017).
not able to sustain her work.
Patients arrived for their appointments and quickly glanced
We discussed what the purpose of her visit was, in order to help
over their smartphones at the occupational therapy stand. People
with her feelings of being listened to by the GP. We also spoke about
were reluctant to engage at first, unsure of the changed waiting
living in a new environment and how our thoughts influence our
room environment, so we broke the ice by starting conversations,
feelings and actions (Foreman and Pollard 2011).
explaining why we were there, and most importantly, asking them:
She was encouraged to consider the positive aspects of her
‘What really matters to you?’
new life; one of our team used therapeutic use of self, as they could
By starting friendly conversations, we re-discovered the power of
personally relate to the transition she was experiencing, as well as
true person-centred practice with individuals.
her isolation.
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