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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in one of the most rewarding and exciting careers in health and social care? Occupational therapists provide an invaluable contribution to the health and social care sector, and make a significant difference in patients lives through supporting them throughout their care journey and recovery.
Occupational therapy is an incredibly rewarding career - it can make an enormous difference in the lives of patients, families, and careers. Occupational therapy is an interesting role within healthcare that promises plenty of variety, and opportunities for progression in multiple areas of the sector.
Occupational therapists are healthcare professionals whose role falls within the category of allied health professions. This may not be a term you’ve came across before, but relates to specialist roles that use their expertise to help patients live as comfortably and independently as possible. Occupational therapy is one of these crucial specialisms.
At its core, occupational therapy is an area of care whereby healthcare professionals work collaboratively with their patients, to help improve their care, their lives, and how they manage a long-term injury, illness, or recovery. Occupational therapists will often encounter people who have experienced difficulty in carrying out every day activities such as going to work or school, enjoying leisure activities, or performing everyday tasks.
As occupational therapists, it’s the job of this role to provide sensible and practical solutions to make things easier that take the patient into consideration. This can include providing assistance with adaptations and equipment for different environments, or even teaching someone a new way of doing a task.
From supporting patients throughout the management of their condition, occupational therapists work in many different health and social care settings to help patients with whatever care and planning they can provide. Let’s see just how important occupational therapy can be!
Occupational therapy is a career with plenty of opportunities for people who aspire to make a difference to others’ lives. With so many possibilities to transform people’s lives, why not consider a career in occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy careers work with a variety of patients of all ages, who come from different backgrounds. Although some occupational therapists may choose to specialise in dealing with a particular demographic or need at some point in their career, there are several common types of patients who all occupational therapists will encounter - let’s take a look!
With the aim of occupational therapy being rooted in allowing people to thrive, live independent lives, and achieve their full potential, occupational therapists working with this group will focus on self-care and life skills. Interactions could include getting ready to go out or use the toilet, or going to school, or taking part in hobbies.
People who have experienced physical disabilities, either on a short or long-term basis, will often be supported by an occupational therapist who will help them live comfortably and as independently as possible.
All occupational therapists aim to help patients achieve what’s feasible, and so they’ll work with the patient to find out what is possible, or how something such as an activity can be made possible by approaching it in a different way.
This can often include helping with things such as activities at home, using public transport or facilities, or even undertaking volunteering or employment.
As with other healthcare professionals who assist with patients with learning disabilities, occupational therapists will work with families, parents, and carers to support them, so that the needs of the patient are met.
People who suffer with mental health conditions can often encounter difficulties when trying to perform daily activities.
Occupational therapists can help by placing self-care and routine at the heart of recovery plans - from taking regular walks, to learning to cook healthy meals, or even managing finances or talking to neighbours.
This will allow some regularity, which can make a significant difference in recovery.
Through understanding what the patient needs, occupational therapists can provide solutions to ensure they’re safe but remain active. This can include changes to the house or their physical environment, and even walking aids.
For this group of people, two of the most important resources are energy and time, and occupational therapists do what they can to ensure that they get the most out of both of them.
This can include teaching them ways of conserving their energy, or helping make physical alterations to their environment to make their final moments as peaceful as possible.
This is what newly qualified occupational therapists can expect to start their careers earning, and with experience, specialisms, and leadership roles, this can increase to over £60,000.
This is what a typical working week looks like - occupational therapists will work with flexibility over a seven day period. Some patients need 24/7 assistance, and different working hours may be encountered in order to support their needs, especially in private practice positions.
Both the NHS and private healthcare providers are keen to help people who really care about what they do. If you become a nurse, there will be possibilities to get further training, support, and progression opportunities to take you where you want to go.
The NHS, private healthcare providers, and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists are passionate about supporting individuals who want to make a difference in occupational therapy. There are plenty of training opportunities and support to help take you far on your career journey.
Healthcare providers will help provide a healthy work/life balance, including part-time opportunities, flexibility, and childcare support. When you care for others, it’s important that the healthcare provider places value in you, meaning that you’re able to focus on providing the best quality care.
Occupational Therapy is a varied profession, but there are a core set of responsibilities that’ll you experience, no matter which type of patients you assist. Let’s take a look!
Patients will have different aims and goals, depending on their lives and conditions. It’s important that occupational therapists are on hand to work with them to establish realistic goals, that provide outcomes that are beneficial and meaningful.
It’s easy to assume that occupational therapists may only focus on a person’s physical condition, but that’s far from the truth. Physical and mental wellbeing are interconnected, and it’s important that a patient’s needs are considered from all angles - physically, socially, psychologically, and environmentally.
Occupational therapists work with patients to assess their needs - following this, and a discussion of goals, they’ll plan and implement a treatment plan that keeps all of this in mind. As with any plan, it’s important that it’s regularly evaluated, and amend if necessary.
Given that occupational therapists will often interact with patients who have undergone a significant change, whether temporary or permanent, it can be the case that they will often require alterations to their usual environments. This could be at work or home, and could include things such as additional railings on stairs, wheelchair access, or equipment such as taller chairs or mobility devices.
Occupational therapists will often support the profession itself - either through training students, or analysing, auditing and evaluating clinical services to ensure that occupational therapy is benefitting patients and is up to standard.
Understanding how a patient may be struggling to complete previously easy tasks is crucial. Occupational therapists will observe how people perform tasks, and if necessary, they will consider alternative ways of doing that task, that makes the whol process easier for the patient. This can play a big factor when thinking about quality of life.
Occupational therapists won’t be the only health and social care professional working with a patient - and so, it’s important to keep records accurate in order to be able to consult with others and review any important changes or issues.
Occupational therapists will often help people cope with daily life and activities in different ways, often by coaching them to deal with anxiety, or even helping with social and functional skills.
It’s important that patients are involved in their own care. Occupational therapists will often have to explain treatment plans to both patients, carers, and families. They can even be responsible for educating people on how to manage with a condition. It’s all about knowing what information to give, and how to explain it.
Like most healthcare professionals, occupational therapists will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide the best care possible for their patients. By relying on different expertise and opinion, they can play a key role in a team that looks after the complete health needs of a patient.
