Rehabilitation
OT and Physiotherapy
- Interview with Jane Blackburn (patient)
The Occupational Therapist (OT)
As well as the OT’s focus on helping your relative regain as much independence as possible, they will address domestic tasks such as meal preparation, cooking, bed-making, laundry, vacuuming and other household jobs as appropriate.
They will also carry out assessments to ensure that your relative gets suitable equipment from the local Social Services, and they are involved in the assessment of the home environment to see whether it will be suitable for your relative to come home to.
OTs will help your relative to make decisions regarding their ability to return to education or employment and how any leisure activities can still be accomplished. They also give advice on driving and car adaptations.
Physiotherapists
Physiotherapists will work with your relative to apply the physical skills of strength, balance, joint mobility and co-ordination to the tasks they will need to do to become independent. This will involve learning to perform or direct transfers from chair to bed or toilet, wheelchair skills and, where appropriate, learning to stand and/or walk again.
They also aim to optimise physical health by teaching skills to ensure good posture, good respiration, exercise and fitness, maintaining muscle length and joint mobility. They will assess your relative for an appropriate wheelchair and cushion and for any other equipment deemed necessary and then liaise with community services for the supply of these items.