Essex Partnership UniversityNHS Foundation Trust

EP0173Production Date: April 2017

Patient Experience TeamIf you have any concerns or need advice about accessing NHS services, you can speak in confidence to the Patient Experience Team on 0800 085 7935 or you can email

epunft.pals@nhs.net

This leaflet can be produced in large print, CD, Braille and other languages on request.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust regards equality and diversity as integral to the way it works. Our staff will ensure that everyone is treated fairly and no one is discriminated against on the basis of their ethnicity, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief.

© Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Reproduced with permission.

lar printge

Some examples of how we can help

BettyBetty, because of physical problems, decided to move to a residential home but became depressed there and wanted to return to her old home. The Occupational Therapist assessed Betty’s abilities to

carry out essential everyday tasks and arranged for some equipment and adaptations to Betty’s home. With all of this in place, and with the help of a daily carer, Betty was able to return to her old home and things began to improve for her.

JohnJohn became very forgetful. He was referred by his GP to the Memory Service, where he was given a diagnosis of dementia. John then became withdrawn and inactive. The Occupational Therapy worked

with John, introducing some coping strategies to help remember things to allow him to carry out his normal daily tasks and the pursuits he used to enjoy. This helped restore John’s belief in his abilities and confidence so that he was able to engage in many of his former activities and social life.

How to contact usIf you feel you need the help of an Occupational Therapist, you can request to be referred to us by a member of staff within EPUT. This could be your consultant or the mental health professional who is looking after you.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, The Lodge, Lodge Approach,Runwell, Wickford,Essex, SS11 7XXTel: 0300 123 0808 Occupational Therapy

Working with Older PeopleProviding Partnership Services in Bedfordshire, Essex and Luton

Occupational Therapy Working with Older People

How can Occupational Therapy

help you?

As we get older the things we used to do without even thinking start to become more difficult. Forgetfulness, illness and ageing can make daily tasks such as cooking, washing, shopping, going out and about, harder to manage. It’s not surprising then that the possibility of not being able to cope becomes a worry for many people.

Noone understands these concerns better than an Occupational Therapist.

Occupational Therapists are trained in the structure and function of the body and mind and understand the impact of illness and ageing on people’s ability to cope with everyday tasks. When we work with you we want to help you manage things more easily so that you can get the most out of life.

Everyone is different, so if we are asked to visit you at home, the Occupational Therapist will look carefully at how you manage all the jobs and activities you have to deal with during the day. They will talk to you about the things that are causing you difficulty. Some tasks can be made easier by learning new ways to do them. Other things become simpler when a modification is made, such as raising the height of your toilet seat or putting in an extra stair rail. The Occupational Therapist can give you advice about the appropriate equipment for your needs or tell you about help available locally.

People’s confidence and self-esteem are also easily affected when we begin to forget things or become anxious or depressed. Occupational Therapists will work with you to find strategies to help you cope and to help you engage in the activities that matter to you. This could involve learning to pace yourself throughout the day so that you become less anxious, finding ways to help you remember things, carrying on a favourite pastime such as reading or dancing, or keeping up activities with families or friends.

As people become more forgetful, Occupational Therapists can give advice on the type and level of activity which will stimulate and engage the person and promote their general wellbeing and functioning. If you care for someone whose memory has declined, the Occupational Therapist can advise you on how best to help this person in order to maintain the best quality of life that is possible for them.

The Occupational Therapist (OT)

can:• identify coping strategies to help with

forgetfulness;

• help you overcome anxiety or depression and regain confidence;

• help you carry on with leisure activities or hobbies you enjoy;

• help you cook safely;

• advise how your home may be modified to help you move around safely;

• identify equipment which may make essential tasks easier.