OTnews February 2012
Welcome to the February 2012 issue of OTnews
This month brings readers a real variety of member-submitted feature articles related to new and innovative ways of working, service redesign and specific assessment tools and toolkits.
We kick off with Sue Vernon, an OT and driving instructor, who has been working with returning military service personnel at Headley Court. After two decades working with civilians, Sue is facing new and complex challenges with this client group, and has drawn on all her personal and professional experience to apply her skills in new and pioneering ways.
Then, senior OT Sophie Dissanayake takes a closer look at the pattern of behaviour associated with compulsive hoarding, and examines the occupational therapy role in the management of this poorly-understood syndrome. Sophie looks at the definition and causes of compulsive hoarding, its links with mental health difficulties, and the assessment and intervention processes that any OTs faced with this behaviour in a client should be considering.
On the topic of using existing services in new ways, Karen Reynolds explains how a pilot aqua aerobics programme for rheumatology patients is exhibiting significant gains for everyone who has taken part, including pain reduction, a reduction in anxiety and depression and improved coping strategies.
On assessment tools and toolkits, Alison Groat and Michelle Weams explain how they have developed and implemented an Interest and Activities toolkit within older adult mental health services in Dumfries, in an effort to get all staff and carers to take responsibility for providing clients with meaningful activities. Their journey has not been without its challenges...
Then, Fiona Crook and Caryl Bisi explain why they set out to change day service provision for dementia clients. Again, with the aim of providing person-centred care and purposeful occupations, they extended the use of the Pool Activity Level to all grades of staff. Read on to find out how they fared.
Jenny Gould and April Saunders chart the development of the Killamarsh Tuesday Group, highlighting the obstacles they ran into along the way.
- Back in the driving seat - Helping injured military personnel to drive again
- Improving outcomes through workforce innovations - Sally Lawson looks at the Workforce Innovations Programme in the North East
- Clearing the clutter - Occupational therapy as a role in managing compulsive hoarding
- Taking down the wall of stigma - A creative expression group for adults with mental health needs
- The benefits of aqua aerobics in rheumatology - Karen Reynolds explains how a pilot programme is changing lives
- Ready for the extension of Any Qualified Provider? - COTs Genevieve Smyth discusses what it means for OT
- Interests and activities toolkit - Improving the life of dementia patients through a new resource
- The Killamarsh Tuesday Group - Providing community therapy for people with dementia
- A new dynamic approach - How the introduction of PAL is changing two day unit services
- Supporting day services - Introducing an outcome-focused approach to day services
- Personal health budgets - The challenges and opportunities
