Occupational Therapy Services

How we have already helped

Daily Life - Jean

We were able to help Jean, who lives alone, to remain independent after a fall when she was struggling with her personal care and domestic activities.

We helped Jean to manage getting washed, dressed, and cooking independently without the need for expensive care while she was recovering from her fall. We helped her to adapt how she completed her daily activities, recommended a few pieces of inexpensive equipment, explained her injury, and likely recovery pattern, provided falls prevention & health information advice, and a suitable rehabilitation programme.

Jeans family had ongoing concerns for her. We were able to suggest ideas for consideration in the future to aid Jean to remain at home for as long as possible.

Return to Work Vocational Rehabilitation. - Chen

We helped Chen return to & stay in his post office job, and helped his manager understand what Chen was experiencing having survived a stroke.

When we first met him, Chen had already tried unsuccessfully to return to his job and was off sick again. We assessed the effects of his stroke and found that he was struggling with memory problems, fatigue and weakness in his right hand. We accompanied Chen to meetings with his manager where we explained the effects of his stroke and how recovery might progress. We assisted Chen and his manager to review his work environment and tasks undertaken, and to develop a phased return plan with reasonable adjustments. We established a cogntive rehabilitation program targetting Chen's work needs and a fatigue management program that ensured he had enough energy for work. With this help, Chen was able to eventually return to all of his previous duties, icluding driving the parcel van!

Aids & Equipment - Joyce

Joyce wanted to be able to make a cup of tea & sandwich for herself, and carry it to her chair safely and independently. She felt depressed because she could not look after herself.

We visited Joyce at home, established the difficulties, and recommended simple affordable equipment solutions along with minor changes of her home environment. These solutions removed the need for costly care visits at lunch and tea times. Joyce was thrilled to be able to do more for herself and have less care. This improved her depression. She found the new equipment and environment changes required less effort and had more energy for other things as a result.

Memory - Derek

Fran was tearful when she contacted us. She was worried about Derek's memory, changes in his behaviour, and declining independence. Fran was having to prompt him to do every day things like eating and drinking. He was frequently aggitated and refused to go out.

We assessed Derek's memory & thinking processes and explained our findings to him and Fran. Our assessment revealed that, in addition to short-term memory loss, Derek was experiencing anxiety that he was not able to express. We supported Fran to adapt her approach and introduced helpful strategies. We summarised the assessment findings in a letter for their GP. Derek's anxiety and functional ability improved with medication from his GP, adaptation of Fran's approach, and strategies. Derek was then able to go out. He went to the hospital memory clinic where he received further support, and regularly had lunches out at a local coffe shop with Fran.

Care Assessment - Grace

When we met Grace, her family were visiting 4 times everyday while waiting for a care assessment from social services. She was worried about the stress on her family and found the number of visits intrusive. She did not feel safe leaving the door unlocked and was exhausted from getting up to open the door every time family arrived. Grace's family thought it would be unlikley that social care funding would be granted, but did not know how to move forward on their own.

We assessed Grace's needs and helped Grace and her family understand what care support would be of benefit to her. We developed a streamlined care plan that was supported by simple changes to Grace's routines and the introduciton of highstreet smart tech and door entry systems. Her family were then able to source their own carers understanding what Grace really needed. Grace found her exhaustion improved greatly. Her family returned to having quality time when they visited Grace rather than being carers.

What our patients say about us

Here`s what people are saying about stay independent.

Highly recommend this professional, warm and highly experienced OT!!!

Bev

BMOT Foundation

Lorna helped me with my return to work after an injury and provided me with exercises to help my injury that I still use everyday. Lorna is a super professional and so friendly and I would not have returned to my job without all her amazing help. Thank you so much!

Lauren

I don't know what I'm going to do without you!

Vee

"Mum has just had a visit from your 'evaluator', I'm afraid I only know her as Lorna. She has such great empathy with Mum and Dad and a great 'bedside manner'. As a result she received Mum and Dad's trust and we got more out of the assessment than I thought. She was also able to get Mum to recognise the equipment and help she needs."

Phil

"Having the OT explain about my employee's stroke really helped. I didn't know you could get these things with stroke and didn't know he was struggling like that. No wonder he couldn't manage last time."

Mr Leader

"I didn't know what to expect really. I didn't know what OT was. The physio said we needed an OT assessment and recommended her. She was great, really thorough. We'd talked to the physio about trouble with personal hygiene after using the toilet. She went through all of that, and loads of other things, like the bath and getting dressed. She gave us loads to think about for what might work to improve things, she covered everything about how we manage day to day."

Dave

"Lorna talked to my brother and included him in the discussions about his life. We've had a lot of professionals who don't do that."

Dale

Hello Lorna,

Hope all is well with you.

The son of Mr X you visited recently has asked me to let you know:

"Lorna was absolutley fantastic with us. Thanks for all you do."

Life Time Care Support

Aviva

"Thank you for your care and kindness. Watching you with him and having you explain made me realise that he was really anxious but couldn't tell me. The letter you've written for me to take to our GP has really helped because I didn't know how to expain it."

Fran

"She was fantastic, she helped us find enjoyment again"

Enid