Occupational therapy is a health discipline concerned with how people do everyday activities within their environments. Occupational Therapy is needed when an individual's ability to live independently, to care for their personal needs, and to participate in work, school, family, and community life is disrupted by factors such as disability, illness and injury.
Occupational Therapists work with individuals, their carers and communities to provide services, using occupation, to facilitate each person to achieve an independent, productive and as enjoyable a lifestyle as possible. Intervention provides opportunities for the person to explore and master the tasks essential to their life roles at home, work and leisure. Occupational Therapists also provide expert input and support for wellness and health promotion.
Occupational therapy services can be accessed at our Limerick clinic and we are also available to work with individuals in their own homes or those residing in care facilities.
The primary aim of a home assessment is to help people remain independent in their own homes. Our Occupational Therapist’s can assess an individual at home and advise the client and their family about the type and degree of assistance they require to improve or maintain their safety, abilities and quality of life. Our Occupational Therapist’s can assess you in your own home and make recommendations for equipment and adaptations including aids such as raised toilet seat, grab rails, and bathing accessories. In each case, the Occupational Therapist will carry out an assessment and complete a comprehensive report detailing equipment or adaptations which may be useful if applying for a housing adaptation grant.
A Housing Adaptation Grant for people with a disability (formally known as the DPG) is available where changes need to be made to a home to make it suitable for a person with a disability. This may include changes such as making the home wheelchair-accessible or adding a ground floor bathroom or toilet. Our team will assist and advise you through the Grant application process and if required we can signpost you to a list of suppliers to carry out your modification works, all of which have been approved by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF).
Planning For Discharge:
Those who have recently been, or are due to be discharged from a care facility can avail of our discharge planning service. This involves the Occupational Therapist performing a full assessment and liaising with family and community resources in order to put the necessary supports in place. The aim of this service is to develop a package of care which enables the individual to return home and participate in life as safely and independently as possible.
Activities of daily living are everyday routines generally involving mobility and personal care. An Occupational Therapist may be able to help you if you are having difficulty completing your activities of daily living of self care, leisure & work :
- Transferring in and out of bed
- Chair transfers
- Showering or Bathing.
- Toileting
- Washing and Dressing
- Accessing your home
- Accessing your community
- Engaging in your hobbies
- Preparing meals
- Maintaining your home House hold chores
Depending on an individual’s ability, everyday activities such as those listed above may be difficult or unsafe for a person to perform. The Occupational Therapist can assess these activities to determine an individual’s needs and devise a programme to help the person be as independent as possible. Appropriate techniques would be devised to allow new and easier ways of doing an activity or by using aids and appliances to compensate for reduced ability. This may involve providing the necessary training in assistive devices for manual handling. Simple aids could include transfer belts, transfer boards and sliding sheets. More complex aids could include mobile hoists or sit to stand hoists.
The Occupational Therapist can assess persons for correct seating and posture including the assessment of pressure care. If you spend most of the day in a sitting position it is vital you have a chair that is tailored to meet your individual needs, especially if you wish to maintain comfort and independence. Your size, degree of mobility and any existing pain are examples of some of the factors which can influence the therapist’s recommendations. The Occupational Therapist will then advise on the most appropriate product and source these products if required.
Those who have recently been or are due to be discharged from a care facility can avail of our discharge planning service. This involves the Occupational Therapist performing a full assessment and liaising with family and community resources in order to put the necessary supports in place. The aim of this service is to develop a package of care which enables the individual to return home and participate in life as safely and independently as possible.
Many people experience cognitive and perceptual difficulties associated with conditions like Stroke, Dementia and the ageing process. The Occupational Therapist can assess people who feel that they may have declined in areas of memory and concentration. An Occupational Therapy treatment plan will be devised to address the specific difficulties and if appropriate this may include Neurofeedback as a treatment intervention.
Our Occupational Therapy team are trained to provide the Brain Fitness programme and the Insight programme. Combined these programmes help to address many cognitive and perceptual difficulties experienced by the elderly population. Research shows that on average there is a 131% increase in auditory processing speed with the Brain Fitness Programme and a 300% increase in visual processing speed with the Insight Programme.
Planning for the future can be a daunting task and often people need help and support with adjusting to changes in their lives as they approach retirement or as they are transitioning to a new living situation. The Occupational Therapist can assist individuals with these changes by jointly setting goals and devising a treatment plan so you can achieve your new aims.The Occupational Therapists can advise on having a balance of activity in your life as engaging in activity at a time of transition can positively influence health.
Health Promotion:
The Occupational Therapist also plays a role in health promotion by providing advice on positive ageing.
Depending on your individual needs, the Occupational Therapist can develop individual or group interventions that address areas of health promotion. Occupational Therapists have a unique understanding of activity which enables them to develop meaningful and purposeful interventions. The following are examples of some of the individual or group activities we provide:
- Falls Prevention
- Safety Awareness in the Home.
- Memory Group.
- Anxiety Management.
- Energy Conservation.
- Social and Leisure.
- Seated Exercise.
- Reminiscence Group.
- Joint protection