Sophia Awan
Senior Occupational Therapist
The Challenge
I worked with a service user with schizophrenia, a learning disability and a visual impairment. He had poor mobility, poor self-care and was often verbally abusive, which impacted on his interactions with others and ability to manage his daily needs.
The Change
I heard him singing so played him a song. He started attending a weekly music group to sing and dance. We built up good rapport and he started using a zimmer frame, which improved his posture. He even got his nails cut after 10 years whilst singing to music!
The Impact
Not only did his health improve, but his quality of life. Music was therapeutic and a catalyst to develop his social skills and engagement. It made me realise how vital it is to understand what’s meaningful to your patient and support them to do what they love.
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