As part of being a reflective practitioner , particularly in the early stages of your career , I think it is important to not only reflect on your patient interactions , but also to reflect on your own progress as a qualified therapist , with regards to expanding your training competencies and skills and reflecting on how your working environment supports that .”
herself into life as a student occupational therapist . ‘ I decided I wanted to get the most out of the course so gave it my all ; I was determined to get a first .
‘ Between the studying , the clinical placements and a busy home it was a bit of a juggle , but I made it work . I discovered I could study most effectively , with no distractions , in the evening and into the early hours , once my son was in bed , dinner had been cooked and all the usual household jobs were done ; that was my time to focus .’
A new and exciting career pathway
After qualifying , Jo started work at The Chantry , where there is a specialist unit that cares for people who come in for short-term rehabilitation following an acquired brain injury , such as a stroke or road traffic accident , and other neurological conditions such as Guillaine-Barre Syndrome .
Jo works closely with these patients and is passionate about making sure they are equipped with the skills and equipment they need to get back home . ’ I want to make sure their transition back home is smooth and their experience whilst I am working with them as positive as possible ,’ she says .
‘ During the first two weeks after admission , the occupational therapy team collaborates with the patient and their family to continue to work on the patient goals set in the acute setting , as well as setting their rehab goals following our initial assessments ,’ she adds .
‘ Interventions are predominantly focused on improving independence and participation in activities of daily living , such a washing and dressing . We also have a purpose-built accessible rehab kitchen to practise meal and drink preparations and activities such as baking .
‘ The occupational therapy team undertakes cognitive assessments alongside the neuropsychologist and we provide interventions to support improving memory , attention and executive functions .
‘ We also provide education and strategies to manage fatigue and raise awareness of risk and safety .’
With local facilities including a café in the park next to the centre and a supermarket very close by , the team is also able to facilitate community access to support shopping and preparing meal tasks , often working with the speech and language therapy team to enable communication practise and support .
The team also undertakes interventions to support increasing upper limb function , such as range of movement , promoting neuroplasticity with the use of Mirror Box therapy , and providing exercises and functional tasks to improve arm and hand strength , co-ordination and gross and fine motor movements .
‘ Throughout the patients ’ time in our service , we aim to ensure therapy is working towards their goals and that our interventions are meaningful to gain maximum engagement ,’ she reflects .
‘ The majority of our rehab clients are discharged home and we aim to make that transition as smooth and safe as possible for all concerned ,’ she says . ‘ It can be a goal that is both anticipated and approached with trepidation by patients and their families – particularly after so many weeks in acute and rehab services , and a return that often represents the patient interacting with their environment and daily life with different mobility and functional abilities .
‘ By assessing the home environment , we can look at any access or equipment needs , such as ramps , rails , bathroom and toilet equipment , and in some cases , work with the local council to support funding for a stair lift or other minor adaptions .
‘ With a map and measurements of the home and any obstacles such as steps and stairs , the physiotherapy team can mock up similar in the therapy gym to enable patients to practise before their discharge .
‘ We also liaise closely with an on-site social work team to establish their abilities and difficulties in order to provide the right level of care support , if needed , and signposting . It ’ s also important to note that all members of the multidisciplinary team provide support to family members .’
22 OTnews February 2023