The benefits of Occupational Therapy

“JUST BREATHE. You are strong enough to cope with your challenges, wise enough to find a solution to your problems, and capable enough to do whatever needs to be done.”

Lori Deschene

What is Occupational Therapy and how can It benefit me or a loved one?

“An Occupational Therapist is a healthcare professional that focuses on, recovering, or maintaining the daily living and working skills of people with physical, mental, or cognitive impairments.”

Their aim is to help people improve their ability to function as independently as possible so that they can participate in whatever activities are meaningful and important to them. Occupational therapists do this mainly by identifying and eliminating environmental barriers to independence and participation in normal daily life.”   https://www.rcot.co.uk/

Throughout the day we all complete activities of daily living, from the smallest task like opening the toothpaste tube to larger activities like making the bed in the morning. These simple activities of daily living which most of us take for granted can become harder for people.

Completing these everyday tasks is an essential part of maintaining our emotional and physical wellbeing.

Examples of these activities can include:

·       Washing and dressing

·       Gardening

·       Domestic tasks like meal preparation and eating.

·       Getting on and off your chair, bed, toilet, car, shower, bath independently.

·       Preparing and consuming food and drinks

·       Walking around your home and garden

·       Getting out and about in the community

·       Socialising with friends and family

What are the benefits of Occupational Therapy and how could it help me or a loved one?

Benefits

·       Helps you to overcome the struggles of everyday life

·       Prevents falls

·       Improved mental health and a more positive outlook

·       Home modifications

·       Providing you with practical solutions to what can feel like overwhelming problems

·       Regain independence

·       Prevention of future hospital admittance

An Occupational Therapist can complete an assessment within your home environment. During this visit a functional assessment looking at your mobility, transfers (how you move around your home) and a discussion of how all activities of daily living are completed.  The visit will enable areas of concern and difficulties to be identified and possible solutions to be discussed.

Advise on adapted techniques, possible aids and adaptations can be provided to ensure that you can maintain your independence with activities of daily living.

These aids may be as small as adapted cutlery to help eating to grab rails by the bath or shower to improve independence and confidence with personal activities of daily living.

One area may include building your confidence in getting out into the community now that lock down restrictions have been eased. 

This advice/aids will help you to get doing things that you may have not been able to do for a long time improving your physical and mental health.

Please get in touch and call Laura on 07541452218 for a confidential discussion on how Bristol Home Therapists can support you or a family member.

“You can’t control what goes on outside, but you CAN control what goes on inside “

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