Celebrating Occupational Therapy Week – 3-9 November

3-9 November is Occupational Therapy Week, so we’re shining the spotlight on our wonderful Occupational Therapists and how they support people out in the community, and here at the Hospice in Winsley.

At Dorothy House, we believe that everyone with a life-limiting illness should be supported to live well. We focus on quality of life, prioritising independence, relaxation, and wellbeing, and ensuring that we ask, “what matters to you?” One of the ways we do this is with Occupational Therapy.

Occupational Therapy in palliative care

Occupational Therapists (OTs) in palliative care work to maximise opportunities for patients to engage in meaningful activities, enhance quality of life, to retain independence, and achieve their personal goals. Using a holistic, person-centred approach, OTs support people to live fully alongside their illness.

Our OTs work here at the Hospice in Winsley – both on our Inpatient Unit and in day clinics – and out in the community. As part of Occupational Therapy Week, we wanted to shine the spotlight on our fantastic team and to hear how they make a difference to the people they support.

Becky’s story

Becky is a specialist Palliative Care Occupational Therapist, working with patients in the community.

“It’s such a privilege to work with people at one of the most challenging times in their life. It can be an emotional job at times but being able to make a difficult situation more manageable for patients and their loved ones is one of the things that makes it so rewarding.

I once worked with a gentleman who lived alone. He had no family, just a close friend and a dog. He was told there was nothing further that could be done to treat his cancer, and he was deteriorating quickly. I had a conversation with him about his preferred place of care. I discovered that he’d had negative experiences from being brought up in the care system, so he didn’t want to go into a hospice or a nursing home. He was also very proud of how hard he had worked to buy a house on his own, and it was important for him to be at home with his dog when he died.

As well as teaching him some techniques to help manage his breathlessness and anxiety, I also set up the environment to enable him to remain at home, with a package of care to support his needs. He died peacefully at home, overlooking his beautiful garden, with his dog curled up next to him.”

Annie’s story

Specialist Palliative Care Occupational Therapist Annie works on our Inpatient Unit (IPU) at the Hospice in Winsley.

“Working as an Occupational Therapist with people and their loved ones at the end of their lives is about identifying what is meaningful to them and maintaining their quality of life. The work brings variety and challenge at significant and sometimes critical moment in a person’s lifetime.

One patient I worked with was a woman with advanced motor neurone disease (MND), who was reliant on a face mask for breathing support (known as an NIV). Through talking to her, I found out that one of her goals was to manage her breathlessness and associated anxiety. I created a bespoke guided relaxation based on words and themes that she chose, delivering the session live and recording it on her phone.

After the session, she commented that she’d hardly needed to use the NIV, that she was breathing steadily and calmly on her own without it, and that she didn’t feel panicked. As a result, she felt empowered to use the recording and other practices like this daily, helping her to manage her condition and minimise symptoms.”

Peter’s story

Like Becky, Palliative Care Occupational Therapist Peter also supports people out in the community.

““You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.” – Dame Cicely Saunders

I have always used this quote as a cornerstone of my practice at Dorothy House. We can come across the most complex situations which draw us into seeking big solutions. However, it can be the most subtle things that can bring the people we serve to a place of wellbeing and peace as they approach their death.

I was working with a gentleman and his wife. When I had visited them at home, there were lots of posters from all the gigs they had gone to together. Talking about these moments always brought smiles, laughter and a lot of precious memories. When he was admitted to the Inpatient Unit, his illness took a turn for the worst. Amongst all the practicalities of his care needs, we arranged for them to go to the Beacon and have a coffee together while listening to their favourite tracks. It provided some moments of normality for them and helped them to process all that they were facing.

My lasting image is of them looking out across the valley, with his wife resting her head on his shoulders.”

Currently, the OT Team are in the process of putting together a range of symptom management group sessions for patients. The sessions aim to cover common symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety and breathlessness, with the team are hoping to have them up and running over the next few months.

Find out more

Occupational Therapy is one of the many services that we provide at Dorothy House, supporting people with life-limiting conditions to live well. You can learn more by visiting our Referrals page, or by calling our Clinical Coordination Centre on 0345 0130 555.