Occupational therapy

What is occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy can help you deal with everyday tasks that you may find difficult following illness, surgery or because of a disability. An occupational therapist will work with you to find solutions for everyday tasks, such as preparing food, doing housework, work activities, hobbies or social activities.

How much does occupational therapy cost?

An initial assessment with an occupational therapy starts from £88.50*, with no GP referral required. If you have private medical insurance, check with your insurer before booking your appointment. 

How does occupational therapy work?

After your assessment with an occupational therapist, they will agree a tailored plan with you. Treatments can include:

• Different ways to do a task
• Adapting to different environments
• Advice and guidance on useful equipment
• Retraining skills
• Increasing independence and confidence
• Advice on returning to work or adaptation of working environments
• How to manage anxiety or fatigue
• Managing cognitive problems
• Advice on discharge options and community services
• Helping with a smooth transition from hospital to home

Why have occupational therapy at Circle Health?

Occupational therapists work as part of a multidisciplinary team across a range of specialties within  Health, including:

Dementia

Occupational health can help people with dementia by:

• Supporting the individual and their caregiver in personal care and daily life activities
• Giving advice on memory aid techniques and coping strategies
• Assessing and improving the safety of the home environment and improving independence. This will also help avoid falls and injuries at home
• Accessing additional services - occupational therapists have the knowledge and experience to direct patients to other useful services such as local dementia support groups

Home visits

Occupational therapists can visit you to give you support at home. They can offer advice on different ways to perform a task, offer equipment that will help you with daily activities, create a safer environment at home or enhance your recovery after surgery.

In-patients

If your daily function has been affected following surgery, our therapists can help you with a rehabilitation plan to help you regain your independence. As well as working with the patient, occupational therapists can also work closely with friends and family to advise on care.

Neurological rehabilitation

For patients with neurological problems, occupational therapists are crucial in helping patients achieve a full and independent life by planning a rehabilitation programme across tasks at home, leisure and work. This can include:

• Relearning everyday activities
• Learning new skills
• Regaining abilities
• Coping with possible disabilities
• Techniques to improve low mood, memory problems, fatigue management and perceptual difficulties

They aim to ensure a smooth transition back to living at home and work with patients on adaptations, and offer helpful advice to family and friends.

Paediatrics and neurological development

Occupational therapists who work with children are specialists in child development and paediatric conditions.  They can help with all aspects of a child's behaviour and performance, for example:

• At home
• Play
• Making friends
• At school

Occupational therapists can help identify why a child may be struggling and put together a tailored programme to work on improving social skills, motor skills, confidence and well-being. If tasks such as handwriting or playing a musical instrument are difficult, this could be due to musculoskeletal issues such as hypermobility. An occupational therapist can work with hand therapists to provide a rehabilitation programme to help resolve these problems.

Cancer services

Occupational therapists can work with people with cancer at any stage in their treatment or recovery. They can assist in:

• Fatigue management
• Using aids or equipment
• Task management and adaptation

They can also help patients to cope with tasks that are important to them, helping to increase quality of life.

Orthopaedics

Occupational therapists can work with patients with long-term or short-term orthopaedic issues, for example, arthritis, trauma or joint replacement. Therapists teach patients how to carry out daily tasks, and patients who have had surgery are usually seen before their operation as well as after, to help plan a safe recovery and timely discharge from hospital.

Rheumatology

Patients with rheumatological conditions can benefit from occupational therapy and hand therapy to help with daily activities including personal and domestic tasks. Therapists can suggest different ways of performing tasks, how patients can protect joints, how to balance rest and activities to maintain good energy levels, how to manage pain, and coping strategies.

If you're struggling to manage everyday tasks in the short or long term, occupational therapy can give you the support you need to make a difference to your everyday life. It can help you maintain your independence and change the way you feel about the future.

To find out more about where to access occupational health services, call 0800 404 6660 or make an online enquiry.