occupational therapy for older people

This service provides assessments for older people with mental health problems. Occupational therapy helps and supports older people in building up their confidence and ability to achieve personal, social, domestic and leisure activities. It also improves the general health, wellbeing and life satisfaction of older people.

The service aims to develop a relationship with people who need and can benefit from this kind of support. We believe it’s important to identify areas of everyday life affected by a person’s condition, including:

• self-care tasks, such as bathing
• domestic activities, such as housework and cooking
• shopping and leisure activities
• driving or using public transport
• personal matters, such as intimate relations.

The occupational therapy service also supports and assists people to cope with social and psychological problems, which may accompany their mental health needs, such as reduced confidence, fear of failure, social isolation, and low self-esteem.

The occupational therapy team works with people to look at possible solutions that may help them maintain or improve their independence in these areas and successfully take part in activities they wish to pursue. It provides a range of services:

• building relationships with people to encourage reflection and involvement in the therapy treatment
• assessing and observing a person as a whole, including functional potential, limits, ability and needs and any physical and social factors affecting their life
• helping people to explore, achieve and maintain balance in their daily lives, including personal care, domestic, leisure and productive activities
• identifying and solving occupational performance problems
• using activities as part of the therapy treatment to encourage health, wellbeing and function
• planning, organising and leading activity groups
• analysing and changing people’s environments to improve the social areas of their life.

How to access the occupational therapy service

You can get a referral to the occupational therapy service through any of NAViGO’s services for older people or directly via the mental health Single Point of Access.

Ask at The Gardens, Willows Resource Centre or the community mental health and memory service

Telephone the occupational therapy team on 01472 625950