Long before I trained to become and occupational therapist, I was curious and interested in the concept of rehabilitation.
A turning point for me was working as a support worker for a young man with an acquired brain injury. Even though he was years post-injury, he was working on goals, engaging in rehabilitation, and living well. This was a big part of what inspired me to follow a career in helping people in a similar way.
Working in that role, I was lucky enough to come into contact with lots of different healthcare professionals. What really interested me about occupational therapy was the person-centered focus on the individual and activity meaningful to them.
When I started viewing the world through an occupational lens, I realized that a huge part of what makes us who we are as human beings is what we do, and how we engage with the world around us. The focus on function, rather than the medical treatment of a health condition, means that the role can be applied across numerous settings and in many different ways, across physical and mental health in a holistic way.
I have been fortunate to work in a variety of different healthcare settings within the NHS, including community falls prevention rehabilitation, acute dementia inpatient services, and my current role on a neuro-rotation within Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
I have always been interested in the complex interplay between physical and mental health and multimorbidity, and wanted to gain in-depth experience across different settings. Within these roles I have been able to fully appreciate the power of rehabilitation, as well as deepen my understanding of how occupational therapy can help people live well, despite chronic or progressive conditions.
Working as an occupational therapist outside of the NHS whilst in New Zealand has also shaped my understanding of rehabilitation and what it can mean both to myself and others. In this role I worked mainly with individuals with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury and concussion, and supported those individuals to return to work, leisure, school and university, which was hugely rewarding. It was also fascinating to have the opportunity to work in such a different healthcare system and to learn about New Zealand culture.
Further specializing in the area of neuro-rehabilitation within my current role, I have seen the power of occupational therapy as a key member of the multi-disciplinary team. This role includes assessing and treating individuals with often complex neurological conditions, from the acute assessment and inpatient rehab, through to discharge from hospital and longer-term interventions in the community. I have also seen how the role of occupational therapy can at times be misunderstood or overlooked; as a profession, we need to be better at advocating for ourselves and showing how fundamental we are to providing rehabilitation.
More recently, I have also been focusing on improving my involvement in research, after identifying a number of gaps in evidence-based practice and service provision. I am currently undertaking a NIHR funded pre-doctoral fellowship, and my area of research interest considers the assessment and treatment of individuals with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury and the long-term impact on functional outcomes. I hope this work will enable better access to rehabilitation for individuals with traumatic brain injury.
On reflection, throughout my whole career, common themes have surfaced, but at the center is the patient’s ability to live well, often despite serious illness. When I consider the meaning of rehabilitation and why it matters, I can picture moments that have encapsulated it for me. Rehabilitation is dancing to a song that you love. It is being able to wash your own hair after weeks of being in hospital. It is sitting out in a wheelchair to wish your daughter happy birthday. It is about our own unique way in which we interact with the environment and the people around us. It is, in essence, occupational. As a result, occupational therapists are often best-placed to facilitate rehabilitation which is person-centered, and impactful.
I am really excited to see how the NRC will develop comprehensive and evidence-based access to assessment and treatment for patients in the East Midlands. Within this setting, occupational therapists will, without doubt, be an essential member of the multi-disciplinary team to facilitate rehabilitation which is holistic, functional and meaningful.