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Job Focus: OT in Elderly Mental Health
“I’m an Occupational Therapist, working in elderly mental health and have been qualified for two years. I became a Christian about six years ago when I was a student and I’m now a member of Above Bar Church in Southampton.
My job is hospital based, although I do have community involvement with patients, with a large proportion of my clinical work in dementia care, which I really enjoy. The main aims of my intervention are to improve the quality of life for both the patients and their carers and I do this by assessing the patients to establish their cognitive abilities, strengths and needs, then devise a treatment programme to maintain their skills and independence for as long as possible.
We aim to increase patient’s confidence, self esteem and feelings of self worth, as these are affected by having a condition such as dementia. Not only does the world become a confusing and muddled place, but they become unable to do the activities which they used to do so successfully. Their loss of role is compounded by families who gradually take over responsibilities for them, and they lose value in society. We carry out activities in which we can engage with them in a way that they can respond to, for example, using other senses or using different resources to facilitate communication and expression, such as art and music. We also work with families to support them as they adjust to their loved one’s condition, and give them advice about appropriate activities, and safety issues at home.
So, how does being a Christian fit into all of this? Well, I wouldn’t be able to do this job successfully without my faith. It is emotionally draining and needs constant patience, love and wisdom, all of which come from my relationship with Jesus. He fills me with all I need to do my job as I couldn’t do it in my own strength. I frequently find myself in difficult or emotional situations, in which I feel anxious, unconfident and unsure about what to do or say. I am able to pray to God to help me through and he does every time.
It all sounds very easy, but in reality it’s not. I frequently lose my focus on God and become overwhelmed by the pressures of the job. One of my goals is to be better at keeping my eyes on God and displaying the gifts that he gives us, to everyone and in every situation. One of the other things that I find difficult, is spending so much time with people who are in need, yet being unable to share my faith with them because of my “Professional” role. When I work with people I work with them as an OT, with a specific agenda and in a professional capacity. Therefore I have to be careful about having boundaries between my personal and professional self. I try to overcome this in some small ways by having a fish on my car, and wearing a cross, and then if people notice and ask what it means I can tell them, or refer them on to the hospital chaplain if necessary. Otherwise I try to pray for them asking God to come along side them, and that they may meet people who can help them and guide them spiritually.
In the future I would like to stay in Dementia care, particularly in the area of support for carers. However I am open to where the Lord might lead me, and I know that if it is part of His plan the benefits will be immense.”
