Posted on: 3 November 2020
I have been working as Neurological Specialist Occupational Therapist for 13 years, and have been working in the Milton Keynes neuro service for the past eight years.
Individuals who access the neuro services have a range of acute, chronic and/or progressive neurological conditions. These conditions often impact on what people need and want to do.
There are many activities that people need or want to do throughout the day and week and these can broadly be broken down into three categories, self-care, productivity and leisure.
A few examples of these activities include being able to look after yourself i.e wash and dress, go to work, look after your children, look after your home or complete hobbies and leisure activities.
What I most enjoy about my job is being able to support people to complete or participate in activities that are most important and meaningful to them.
Being able to complete daily activities and roles which are meaningful is fundamental to both our physical and mental wellbeing. As a neuro occupational therapist, we focus on what is most important to a person, and therefore no two days at work are ever the same
A great way to understand how important occupational therapy is, is to think about your typical day and week and all the activities that you do!
Out of your current activities, what is most important to you (either because you need or want to do them)?
Then imagine that you are no longer able to do those activities or you are finding them very difficult to complete because of a physical, cognitive and/or emotional impairment.
As an occupational therapist we would then work with you to understand what is stopping you or impacting on you completing those activities. This will often involve analysing your performance within an activity in the context of your environment.
As occupational therapists we also recognise the importance of the interaction between you as an individual, the occupations that you need and want to do and the environment. We would then work with you to support you in resuming activities or roles.
In summary in the Milton Keynes neuro service we help people to live not exist (Royal College of Occupational Therapists).