Military rehabilitation younger service leavers , can be ill-prepared for transition , with little experience of budgeting , public services , or paying bills , as well as unrealistic expectations of how civilian life works .
Military rehabilitation younger service leavers , can be ill-prepared for transition , with little experience of budgeting , public services , or paying bills , as well as unrealistic expectations of how civilian life works .
We found that allocation of points to the AF & V community varied between council authorities , but the need for a ‘ local connection ’ should not apply to service leavers seeking social or emergency housing . Occupational therapists should be aware that if an adaptation is refused by statutory services , then there is the option of contacting the military third sector for advice and potential financial assistance .
Training feedback
The research demonstrated how many unknowns there can be when supporting the AF & V community . It was clear that many veterans have their own coping strategies and only seek help when it is debilitating ( Hitch et al 2020 ) and there are fears by some that they will not be understood by the NHS ( Chase 2016 ).
Therefore , the importance of asking at triage or assessment the question is paramount , while recording and sharing this information is key to ensuring that the impact of a patient ’ s military service is considered , especially in light of the new Armed Forces Covenant duty .
Many occupational therapists highlighted in their evaluation forms that the training had made them more aware of the barriers and challenges faced by the AF & V community and how to better support them .
One OT wrote : ‘ I now have more awareness of who is actually classed as a veteran and the vast amount of difficulties one may have , ranging from physical difficulties , to mental health difficulties and issues with more domestic tasks , such as managing finances ’.
Others commented on now having more awareness of what support the military third sector could provide and the need to refer on .
Most attendees found the pre-homework case studies , links to short videos and the armed forces quiz beneficial and prepared them in advance , but did point out that it was time consuming .
However , overall feedback was positive and the key point of asking the question was understood . One occupational therapist noted : ‘ I am in the process of creating a new referral form for our team and have added the question already ’.
The OT training resources have now been archived on the NHS Highland intranet for all staff to use and as a basis for further research . It is hoped that the training will also be uploaded on TURAS ( the online NHS learning platform in Scotland ).
Chase P , McMahon SA , Winch PJ ( 2016 ) ‘ Tell me what you don ' t remember ’: Care-seeking facilitators and barriers in the decade following repetitive blast exposure among army combat veterans . Military Medicine , 181 ( 2 ): 116 .
Hitch CM , Harper B , Armour C , Water-House Bradley B ( 2020 ) How army veterans cope with chronic pain : A grounded theory approach . Journal of Veteran Studies . Virginia Tech Publishing .
Ministry of Defence ( 2020 ) Annual medical discharges in the UK Regular Armed Forces 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2020 . Available at https :// bit . ly / 44tPPcz [ accessed 15 September 2022 ].
Office for Veterans ’ Affairs , Veterans Factsheet 2020 . Available at https :// bit . ly / 3LXRf7N ( accessed 15 September 2022 ).
Rhead R , MacManus D , Jones M , Greenberg N , Fear NT , Goodwin L ( 2022 ) Mental health disorders and alcohol misuse among UK military veterans and the general population : a comparison study . Psychological Medicine , Jan 52 ( 2 ), 292-302 .
Sharp ML , Busuttil , Murphy D ( 2019 ) Examining physical health conditions and associations of pain , obesity and function of UK veterans diagnosed with PTSD and other mental health conditions . Journal of Military , Veteran and Family Health , 5 ( 2 ): 75-87 .
Words DAWN MOHUN , in the previous role as Lead Occupational Therapist for the Armed Forces and Veterans Community Project , NHS Highland . With thanks to contributing occupational therapists also involved in the project , Ella Ascroft-Hill , Margaret MacLarty and Andy Stables . Contact Kari Magee , Project Manager , kari . magee @ nhs . scot
May 2023 OTnews 31