Occupational therapy for acute elderly medicine

What we do 

Occupational therapists in the team work across the acute elderly medicine wards. The occupational therapy service provides assessment, intervention and discharge planning to facilitate safe and timely discharges from the acute hospital setting. The service provides acute intervention to enable patients to regain and maximise independence.

Occupational therapists work within the multidisciplinary team, in a patient centred manner, establishing shared goals, promoting independence, enhancing quality of life, providing support and information to them and their families.

A wide variety of assessments are used, which include – initial assessments, personal care, kitchen (domestic activities of daily living), transfers on/off furniture (bed, chair, toilet etc), risk assessment, cognitive assessments, assessment for the provision of any equipment, aids/adaptations, and wheelchairs. Access visits, home visits or discharge home visits are also carried out.

There is a great deal of liaising with relatives, carers, other professionals and the voluntary agencies to establish the level of care / type of support needed for a safe and timely discharge home. Signposting to other appropriate services may also take place.

Aims of service:

• Individual assessment and intervention to facilitate safe and timely discharge from hospital for patients with complex physical / mental health and social needs.

• Co-ordinate complex discharge planning with hospital and community services through working autonomously and taking a key role in the multi disciplinary and multi-agency teamwork.
• To prevent prolonged hospital stays through early estimation of discharge dates and timely referral onto non - acute services.
• To maximise patient independence and decrease the need for premature admission to a residential care setting.

Where we are

We work across Acute Elderly Medicine and on multiple wards including the Acute Medical Unit, Short Stay Ward, Wards 23,24,25,35, Joint Elderly / Psychiatry Ward 37.