What is Occupational Therapy?

So what is Occupational Therapy anyway?

Lets look at definitions from around the world, from the world’s leading bodies in Occupational Therapy

Here in the UK, the Royal College of Occupational Therapy defines OT as -

“Occupational therapy (OT) is a science degree-based, health and social care profession, regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. Occupational therapy takes a “whole-person approach” to both mental and physical health and wellbeing and enables individuals to achieve their full potential.” RCOT

In America the American Occupational Therapy Association says -

“Occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability.” AOTA

On Occupational Therapy Australia’s website they say -

“Occupational therapy (OT) is a degree-based health profession, regulated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Occupational therapists use a whole person perspective to work with individuals, groups and communities to achieve optimal health and wellbeing through participation in the occupations of life.” OTAUS

The World Federation of Occupational Therapists definition is -

"Occupational therapy is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement.” WFOT

At Sunday Care Therapy we understand that an Occupational Therapist may not be a term you are familiar with, even if we ask our health colleagues what an OT does, some of them might struggle to answer. So we have come up with a simple definition:

“An OT is someone who is trained to enable you to do the things you used to be able to do, but can’t do anymore due to an injury or illness. Or enable you to do the things you want to do but can’t due to any other limitations.”

So what does this mean? Lets take a look at some common practical examples from here in the UK:

You or a love one has recently experience a stroke.

You have experienced a stroke, your left arm is now unable to move independently it is painful and has hypertonia resulting in it being stuck in a position.

Before you had your stroke you could get into and out of the bath no problem and you would like to do that again. An OT can do a full assessment looking at all your existing skills and strengths, they will also look at your home set up, then together you and your OT will come up with a goal and treatment plan to get you either safely accessing your bath again, or modify the goal, maybe looking at equipment, adaptations and exercises.

At Sunday Care Therapy, we will provide you a full OT assessment looking at your physical skills, emotion well-being and cognitive strength. We will devise a treatment plan with you which will be carried out by one of our Care Partners. By the end of the intervention we want you to have regained as much independence as possible and as long as there is potential we will keep working with you. We will work along side any NHS Therapists as well to make sure you are getting the best care and treatment currently available.

You or a loved one has Celebral Palsy

You have Cerebral Palsy, unfortunately you had a fall and had to spend some time in hospital. On discharge you are unable to stand, an Occupational Therapist can look at what equipment there is to support you transferring from one service to another such as from your bed to your chair. This might be with a hoist and slings. Now you have equipment your care agency insist for safety you need two carers.

At Sunday Care Therapy, our Occupational Therapist will look at you as an individual, look at what skills you have, what’s your potential and how does your home environment support or disable you. If we think it is feasible we can look at providing you with equipment that is suitable for one Care Partner to use with you, increasing your choice, control and dignity, while also looking at what exercises they can do with you to get some strength back and keep you healthy.

How Occupational Therapy works with care, in five simple steps:

1. Assessment

   At Sunday Care Therapy our Occupational Therapists will complete all assessments, this includes your initial assessment and any specialist assessment. Looking at you as an individual from a holistic perspective.

2. Planning

   Our OT’s will work with you and your family to plan out your short and long term goals based on results of your assessment.

3. Intervention

   Your Care Partners will complete the planned and agreed intervention, from simple tasks like getting washed and dressed in the morning to more complex individualised at home exercise programs.

4. Cooperation

   At Sunday Care Therapy our OT’s and Care Partners will cooperate with you, your family and any other health professionals involved in your care.

5. Happiness

   At Sunday Care Therapy we want to support you to live a happy and successful life.

“Life can be still be sweet, no matter what’s happened” - Gladys Sleater, 91.