Assessments and Rehabilitation Programmes

We take a client centred, goal directed approach, which means our rehabilitation programmes are individually tailored to meet each client’s unique and specific needs.

 

We assess the client’s strengths and difficulties in the following areas:

• Physical

• Cognitive

• Emotional and behavioural

 

Once the assessment is complete we work with the client to help them learn strategies or techniques to remediate their difficulties or to compensate for them, so that they can achieve their goals. For example, we may teach someone how to manage their temper, or how to use memory strategies.

 

Often occupational therapy is part of a larger rehabilitation programme and we work closely with other professionals such as physiotherapists and neuropsychologists, as well as family members and support workers, to help the client achieve their goals.

 

Because every client is unique and has different aspirations and desires, the occupational therapy programmes can cover a broad range of areas. This means we work with clients on a range of activities from:

• Self care – learning how to look after themselves, such as remembering to take their medication or safely getting in and out of the shower

• Household management – learning home based skills for independent living, for example, cooking, cleaning or managing their mail

• Community management – learning how to be safe and independent in the community, for example, crossing roads, using public transport, managing money or going shopping

• Work/education – providing support with beginning or returning to school, college or work (paid/voluntary)

• Leisure – returning to pre-injury activities or learning new activities, from bell ringing to rock-climbing.

 

The reasons people struggle to do these activities can vary greatly, for example it may be a physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioural problem. Therefore, we assess and analyse the impact the problem is having on the person’s day-to-day life, before then assisting them to generate and implement solutions.