OT? So What?

During the week I attended the College of Occupational Therapists Conference in Glasgow. The College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section- Older People (COTSS-OP) conference ran simultaneously. It was really inspiring to hear many of the main keynote speakers, such as professor Michael Iwama, talking about preventative work and public health being important future arenas for OTs. The vital role OTs play in acute and emergency care settings was very much acknowledged, but the importance of linking well with community based services was very much at the forefront of the discussions.

I presented a facilitated poster discussion about my study visit to the University of Southern California. I outlined the background to the visit and then went on to the following:
 

'...Current hospital discharge practice can be frustrating for both OTs and older people themselves. It can be reductionist, grounded in a medical model and emphasise ‘safety’ at the expense of occupational engagement and enablement of valued daily activities. A paradigm shift on the part of policy makers, service managers and individual OTs is needed to change this. An understanding of the principles of the LRD model can provide a way forward.

I want to leave you with some points to ponder based on the opening plenary speech given by Professor Iwama and Jacqui Lunday Johnstone’s Keynote address to the COTSS-Older People’s conference. Professor Iwama challenged us to re-examine how and where we work and to look at the preventative and public health arenas as the future of Occupational Therapy. He asked us to consider the relevance of our services to the lives of the people and communities we serve. Jacqui Lunday Johnstone emphasised the need to demonstrate outcomes or the ‘added value’ that occupational therapists provide- what she termed the ‘So What?’. Both affirmed that the unique skills of OTs, if fully utilised can have real impact on the hospital to home interface. Using an approach inspired by Lifestyle Redesign® could help to make this a reality.

Imagine the older people who use your service being asked two questions:

1. Was the OT service you received relevant to your life?
2. If you received a service, So What? What was the added value it brought?

If the answers you think you would get are not what you would wish them to be, then it is time to begin looking at the reasons and to think about whether using aspects of Lifestyle Redesign® could be a way to change the answers in future.'

C is for College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section- Older People

College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section-Older People (COTSS-OP) is:

"a dedicated Specialist Section of occupational therapy staff that is passionate about older peoples’ independence, well-being and choice

We provide professional and clinical information on all aspects of occupational therapy practice related to older people. We have a responsibility to keep abreast of relevant professional, practice, policy and legislative developments and issues. Our members include occupational therapy staff from both physical and mental health services for older people."

Without the COTSS-OP I don't think my visit to the University of Southern California (USC) would have happened.

I have been a member of COTSS-OP  for a long time but was not actively involved other than attending an occasional study day, but that all changed the day I had a spare few minutes in front of my computer at work and noticed that the SS was offering 2 free places at the COT conference in Brighton in a few months. I filled it in and sent it off not expecting to hear any more- and got an email a short time later to say I had won one of the places!

Pasna & Ebby in Brighton

Pasna Sallis, the other winner and I both happened to live in Scotland so we travelled down to Brighton together. We were made so welcome by all the National Executive Committee (NEC) members and attended many different presentations, events and seminars. One of the speakers was Dr Florence Clark from USC who developed the Lifestyle Redesign occupational therapy approach. 

As a result of our attendance at the conference, Pasna and I both became more actively involved in COTSS-OP, Pasna in the Dementia Clinical Forum and myself in the Acute Care & Emergency Clinical Forum, something we both continue with to date. 


During this first year, I came across information about Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (WCMT) travel awards (more about this when we get to W), and the idea was born. A further opportunity to meet with Dr Clark at conference the following year confirmed my wish to try to explore the Lifestyle Redesign approach further. I nervously submitted my application to WCMT, and at the end of the selection process I was awarded a travel fellowship- and the opportunity to spend 8 weeks in Los Angeles with the researchers, clinicians, students, patients and clients who taught me so much about my profession and about the Lifestyle Redesign approach.

This was a real once in a lifetime experience and a great example of 'luck is opportunity seized' (a great quote but I'm not sure who said it first!)



COTSS-OP Membership
For any occupational therapist working with older people, membership of the specialist section is well worthwhile. Have a look at the website via the COT website or follow this link.
Membership is very reasonable- and cheaper still for students- and don't forget you can claim professional subscriptions back on your tax.