Occupational Therapy News OTnews May 2020 | Page 27

COVID-19 FEATURE well as giving the staff an opportunity to practise before using the equipment with the client.’ The team has shared their experiences of delivering virtual assessments (see box out) and Kirsten says they offer major benefits in terms of time and social distancing. ‘One care agency recently insisted on a face- to-face visit,’ she says. ‘The visit took 15 minutes, however, the actual time away from my desk was three and a half hours, due to travel from home and PPE kit collection and preparation. The lady has advanced dementia, and I think having an additional person with a mask in her bedroom was more traumatic than a video call. ‘There are of course some cases that would be better handled in person, particularly to see a family’s dynamics, or if people don’t have access to technology. But many can be handled with video calls.’ The five-step programme is constantly evolving; a new service acting from the front door duty team was due to be trialled before COVID-19, whereby an occupational therapy assistant visits clients with the equipment identified by the EQuip notebooks to trial and review the equipment at the same time. ‘This would reduce the pressure on duty and further speed up our service.’ says Jonè. She says that the new system, particularly the notebooks, have taken a lot of investment in staff training, but that the results show it is working, and she is keen to share the notebooks with other teams for them to implement them too. ‘The impact of the changes has been phenomenal,’ she says. ‘It is not just about not having a waiting list – it’s also about having boundaries so that other teams know what social care does. In the past we have felt like a tagalong service, but these changes and our projects with our health colleagues have boosted our confidence and helped us see that we are experts in moving and handling and major adaptations. ‘We’ve found our place and it has given us a renewed sense of purpose, value and worth, rather than being an add-on service.’ The new five-step process has posed a major shift and there is less time spent by staff on face-to-face visits. But particularly in the age of COVID-19, it is opening up more ways to clear waiting lists and do what is best for clients. Andrew Mickel, OTnews journalist. Email: [email protected] Virtual assessments: what the Reigate and Banstead team have learned The team at Reigate and Banstead share their tips on virtual assessments A s occupational therapists, we start our assessment as soon as we park in front of the client’s house. By the time we enter the door, we have already noted access and started to consider intervention options. Every step further into the house, we start to formulate a picture about the client and their situation, constantly assessing risk and considering intervention. So when doing a virtual assessment, it is important to note that you will need to be intentional about engagement and about the information you want to gather. Where in the past your actions and observations may have been automatic and natural, you will now have to think about, and consciously make an effort, to gather information as you enter the client’s life through a different lens. The following tips have helped us to ensure a comprehensive and confident assessment is completed: • Keep the virtual assessment as brief as possible by gathering as much information in advance by telephone. • Ensure your phone or laptop is charged before the assessment. • Ensure you have good internet access and agree that you will call back if the call fails. • Prior to assessment, inform the client or care staff that an additional person will be required to operate the device used for the virtual assessment. • Most importantly, the client needs to be at the centre of the assessment. • This may sound obvious; however, when there is much to think about and when you are not there in person, it is easy to forget to put the client at the centre. Ask the client how they are, and for their views and concerns. Their participation should be encouraged throughout the assessment. • Introduce yourself, who you are and who you work for; show your badge if needed. Ask everyone in the room to introduce themselves. • Explain to the client the purpose of the video call and ask them if there are any limitations they wish to place on the call, such as what you can and cannot observe. • Gain the client’s consent for the call and ensure they know you may take photos. • During the assessment, ask if you can have a look at the room to familiarise yourself with the environment. • During a review, ask if anyone is familiar with the equipment you are about to trial and how experienced they are with it. It would be good to send information and links to videos prior to the call so that care workers, carers and the client can familiarise themselves with the equipment. • Ask care workers to demonstrate the use of the equipment on each other. This will allow you to see the level of confidence and competence before the equipment is used with the client. • You can share links or images in the chat box with clients, carers and care staff. OTnews May 2020 27