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Inspire Cheshire West has closed. Thank you to everyone who took part. Your contributions, stories, ideas and experiences about life under lockdown restrictions were a valuable resource to the communities of west Cheshire.

Making a difference step by step

To celebrate OT week, we're looking at the work of some of our Occupational Therapists and how they have continued their work through the COVID -19 pandemic.

Rachel is an OT in the community or ‘Patch’ team working alongside occupational therapy assessors, social workers, social care assessors and the visual impairment team. She supports people with a physical disability who need to use equipment in their home to improve their quality of life and independence. Sometimes, these can be major adaptations.

Rachel has, for around 4 years now, worked with a young man who has had a progressive neurological disorder. He lives with his parents. Rachel says, “When we first worked with David* he was beginning to have problems getting in and out of the bath, and so we were able to install a level access shower so he could continue to be independent.

“Gradually, David’s condition deteriorated to the point where he was at risk of falling when he climbed the stairs. He was still a very young man and wanted to be able to move freely around his own home and didn’t want to have a bedroom downstairs. We considered a stair lift but were concerned that this might not be the best long-term option. As David was eligible for the disabled facilities grant (and there was appropriate space) we were able to install a through-floor lift. David and his family were thrilled as this allowed him to manage the stairs independently and safely, and also gave him the safety and independence to be left for short periods of time without the need for assistance.

“Now we’re looking at getting David a wash and dry toilet with a powered seat, again so that he can retain independence and privacy. The COVID-19 pandemic has of course made the logistics of this process a bit more challenging as our meetings with the company representative and the family have had to be via video call, but our resolve to support David and his family continues.

“David’s story is a good example of how OT can be really effective in taking a step by step, incremental approach to supporting someone as their needs change over the years. In this case, we always had an eye on what David’s future needs might be as his condition progressed.

“Working alongside teams from other areas of social care in the community is a fantastic way of working. We can be flexible in the way we work with people who need our help, and understanding each other’s work much better means better outcomes for those people. It means that even after 17 years working in OT I’m learning new things all the time!”

(*names have been changed)

Celebrating the work of our OTs during the COVID-19 pandemic

During OT week, we're celebrating the work of Occupational Therapists and how they've continued to change people's lives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.Sarah Jane is the Practice manager of the Home Assessment Team.This is a relatively new team, with staff of different skills and disciplines who work closely together to help patients being discharged from hospital. She says, “People think of occupational therapy as relating to jobs, but actually it’s more helpful to see it as supporting those activities which ‘occupy’ us in our daily lives ; this could be anything from getting out of bed comfortably, getting the children to…

Small changes, big impact

Paula works in the Community Access TeamWhen a person is referred to OT by themselves or a professional, family member or friend this is the start of a journey that can sometimes provide support in unexpected areas of the person’s life.Paula says, “Our role is to think about preventing that person from becoming dependant on care so that they can continue to live a full and independent life as soon as possible, but also thinking about measures we can take to prevent that person’s health deteriorating.“We always look at the person first and foremost and what they want in order…