In a world that constantly evolves, occupational therapy reminds us that everyone has the potential to thrive, no matter the challenges they face.
From 21 to 27 October, we shine a light on the work of occupational therapists who work with clients of all ages, addressing physical emotion and social challenges to enhance independence and quality of life.
For Mackay HHS acute senior occupational therapist Alicia Eden, her role sometimes requires her to be a little “like MacGyver” and to get creative with solutions for her patients.
“Occupational therapists consider ‘occupation’ to be all of the everyday activities that people find meaningful and important; not just their jobs,” she said.
“This can be as simple as brushing your teeth or going to the toilet; from basic independent living to much broader goals including accessing the community and leisure activities like shopping or gardening.”
Occupational therapists optimised independence through a patient-centred approach based on what a patient wanted to achieve combined with their values and priorities.
“Illness, injury or disability can change a person’s ability to engage in their occupations and do them in their own environment – our goal is to help make all those things match up again and optimise their independence, however this looks very different for everyone,” Alicia said.
“You sometimes have to find a very creative solution as the same approach, intervention or piece of equipment is not going to work the same way for everyone and in their individual environment.
“That’s why the first step for us as OTs is to find out about the person; what they were doing before hospital and how well they were doing it. We then look at their current level of function and from there can help patient to identify their goals.
“Education is a big part of what we do so ultimately they are better equipped to support themselves.”
Alicia derives great satisfaction from her role, whether it’s a simple intervention or a long-term and complex solution which enables people to “not just live, but live in a way they find meaningful”.
“It can be simple things – I had a patient with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) who I organised equipment for so she could more easily look after herself; she thought this was fantastic as she hadn’t been able to shower herself for two weeks,” she said.
“Small things can be lifechanging; I’ve also been working with a teen with a brain injury and he just moved his fingers for the first time – it’s amazing and he’s so excited with his progress.
“Every patient’s journey is different based on their age, their motivation and the reason they are in hospital.”
The Mackay HHS OT team consists of 45 clinicians who are compassionate, dynamic individuals offering patients a holistic approach to health care, addressing physical, emotional and social factors to promote overall wellbeing.
World Occupational Therapy Day is celebrated on 27 October.
