Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy (OT) Department provides both an inpatient and out- patient service to patients in St. Michael’s Hospital.

Occupational therapists understand how illness, injury, disability or challenging life circumstances and events can affect people’s ability to do the everyday things that are important for them and know how to support them to reach their maximum level of independence and autonomy.

Occupational therapists are involved in the rehabilitation of people with physical, psychological and social problems. The aim of the therapy is to restore functional ability, enabling the patient to be as independent as possible in their everyday lives, whilst recovering from illness or adapting to disability.

Services 

The Occupational Therapist works as part of the multi-disciplinary team to provide comprehensive assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and discharge planning as well as providing a referral service on to the Occupational Therapy services in the community, and other relevant services.

As well as providing an in -patient service, The Occupational Therapy Department provides a service to the following Out -patient clinical areas;

• Department of Geriatric Medicine Out- Patient Clinic.

Occupational Therapists provide a comprehensive geriatric assessment at this clinic, offer support and advice to patients and their families and referral on to other relevant services in the community.

• Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme

An Occupational Therapist has been a member of the cardiac rehabilitation team at St. Michael’s Hospital since this programme was first established in 2001.They provide both education and training in Stress management, relaxation techniques and lifestyle management.

• Pulmonary Rehabilitation

The Occupational Therapy department provides a service to the pulmonary rehabilitation programme, which is run on site at St. Michael’s Hospital. This programme includes breathlessness management, fatigue management, energy conservation, as well as lifestyle management for those coping with respiratory illness.