Trying to describe the role of an Occupational Therapist (OT) is difficult, there are no two days, no two cases the same.
OTs see people in the community with long term needs relating to their physical and mental health and assess their ability to carry out daily activities. This work spans a huge range of medical conditions, housing types and family support set ups.
Their assessments may involve giving advice or information, assisting in looking for more suitable housing, putting clients in touch with other services, or assist carers in maintaining their caring role. This could also include suggesting new ways of carrying out certain tasks to make life easier or provide equipment or adaptations to help people do a task more independently or safely.
Positive collaborations
Durham County Council and local NHS community services both provide Occupational Therapy services in health and social care, with input and care often to the same group of patients. The Integrated Care Programme has brought these groups of professionals together, working collaboratively to look at ways to streamline their services, particularly where there’s duplication.
Occupational Therapy is a strong illustration of where the County Durham Care Partnership has brought different aspects of health and social care closer together and how an integrated approach is improving the health and wellbeing of our communities in County Durham.
A day in the life
To give you a better idea of how therapy teams are working together and the support they provide, five OTs representing both Durham County Council and the NHS give us a fascinating insight into their daily lives.