Week 36: PP2.8

Key Term: Complete and Passed!

[PP2 Week 8]

Last week of placement and thankfully my final report was a pass. I'm not sure why this always surprises me!! 

My week was filled with finishing things off and passing clients over which felt kind of sad. Ive really enjoyed being part of the team there! 

Longer reflection on whole placement to follow :) 

Week 33: PP2.5

Key Term: Personal care is an occupation.

[PP2 Week 5]

A bathroom focused week as an OT student; involving bath lifts, perching stools, level access showers and access to toilet-ing.  My week began with getting to try out a bath lift  to check it was stable whilst it was fitted in a clients house by one of the other OTs. It was a helpful experience for me as a student as I begin to understand more of the equipment that is available to support people to access their facilities for personal care at home. As an OTA in a acute setting, it was something that I didn't get direct experience of (to see how it worked) as people were able to be discharged home if they could access the sink for a basin wash.

... this placement it's allowing me to see the next stage in that process for a person who has been discharged and needs their bathing access assessed...

I have been grappling with this point a lot for a while now, and I know why that is seen as a reasonable option for discharge from hospital (with pressure for beds and the importance of people recovering in their own home) but I almost could put it to the back of my mind as I'd feel that bathing access would be assessed in the community when they are at home. But what does this mean for a younger generation (I know this is a slight assumption) of people, where being able to access the shower is seen as essential to them? I don't know how not being able to shower would effect me psychologically as a well, able bodied person; never mind if I was suffering from a long term condition or illness. Even working in the hospital I found it hard to inform younger people that they were expected to just have a basin wash if they couldn't access their bath or over bath shower, or that the equipment that we would provide such as a bath board would mean them accessing it in a way that seemed so alien to them. As an OT student, the discussions I have observed  and been involved in are helping me to find ways to communicate this to clients in a more natural way and are also enabling me to understand the the importance of organisational/social services entitlement and guidance to give the client the relevant information on why they are having to make the change and why its not so simple as having a wet room put into their house. 

On the topic of wet rooms/level access shower, Im seeing the real benefit they can have to clients who are keen to remain as independent as possible but also those who need support of carers - when mobility becomes as issue due to illness, surgery or life changing events.  This has led me to begin to try and work out... how the Care Act and DFG (based on the housing regeneration act) fit together... and so far I'm struggling to make this link... If any one reading this has any idea please do comment let me know!! By the looks of it, it seems on the surface that DFG eligibility criteria still seems to be based on the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act (which no longer exists?)... Im possibly missing something obvious...

[In other placement news...]

This week involved me navigating a strange city and its bus routes to visit a client on my own (I had pervasively visited the client with my educator). I'm pleased it was a successful visit and gave me a chance to build my confidence in managing the expectations of clients on my own. 

This weeks blog was very 'spill my thoughts onto the page', because I'm tired and my dyslexic brain is winning! Hopefully next weeks will be back on normal form. 

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Week 26: The week of the Solar Eclipse

Photo by Andrew Dickie
https://instagram.com/mybagispacked

Key Term: De-Escalate before you need to Breakaway...

I spent the first part of the week trying to shake the odd feeling that I have missed some prep somewhere.... This week's classes didn't have any prep which felt really strange after months of trying to squeeze all the reading in before getting to class. 

Placement Launch: 

We had our placement module launch on Thursday which was exciting, if not a little unnerving to think in a couple of weeks we are back out for 8 weeks. The placement profile has jumped up a few more places on the grid, which seems a BIG jump but in hindsight a lot of us where doing those things on PP1 anyways so I'm hoping that will lead us in good stead to get stuck in on PP2. 

I'm looking forward to another community placement in adult social care; I think it will lead on nicely from my community paediatrics placement but will also be quite different as it is council based rather than NHS. I imagine i will be seeing a lot of equipment and adaptions (Hopefully all the equipment I used as an assistant will give me a good starting knowledge). 

De-escalation and Breakaway Techniques:

Friday gave us the opportunity to discuss deescalation and practice breakaway techniques; It made me reflect on the challenges we may have when dealing with other humans in our day to day roles. We are privileged to work in such a diverse profession where we can work with people in such a range of settings but this could also lead us to work in challenging situations where we need to use deescalation and breakaway techniques; It strikes me that our abilities to read situations is crucial when working with clients and families. 

The Solar Eclipse:

This week also included the solar eclipse... Thankful to our tutor for letting us stand outside and watch it before starting Fridays session; Carlisle was quite cloudy but we still got the chance to see experience it, which was fab. I was quite young when the last solar eclipse happened, so remember the excitement but at age 11 don't remember much of the actual event! 

It's strange to think how much has changed in my life since the last eclipse - high school, college, university, work and now back in education! Life is full of surprises and experiences that change us and mould our future opportunities.

Reflections on Hoisting and Wheelchair Sessions

As previously discussed in "Week 25: Too many ideas...so little time", over the last few weeks we have been taking part in practical sessions at university to give us the basic knowledge to use when on placement. This week's sessions were based on hoisting and wheelchairs, which gave us as students the chance to experience how it would feel to relinquish control and the power balance when we are hoisting/moving an individual.

http://www.arjohuntleigh.co.uk/products/patient-transfer-solutions/passive-floor-lifters/maxi-move/

Being Hoisted...

How does it feel to be hosted? For me I completely tensed up in the sling; it made me think considering I know how the equipment works, this should have relieved some of the fear but it didn't... so for patients who won't have this advantage of knowledge it must be so much more scary.

The power is with the person doing the hoisting and working the equipment. The patient needs to place their trust in an health care professional that they may have just met when they are feel at there most vulnerable, not to mention most probably in those shapeless hospital gowns.

It is of great importance that as health care professionals we are able to reassure the patient and protect their dignity whilst helping them to transfer.

Learning Points:

• Let the person know what you are doing as you go through the process.
• If you can stand beside them when hoisting - Do so! 
• Give the person dignity when hoisting them! 

Wheelchairs

We also got the chance to experience using a wheelchair around campus, which was a lot harder than I had imaged it to be; heavy doors, high handles and doors that open outwards were among a few of the issues faced just getting around, not including the added obstacle of communicating when you aren't at the same level as others.

Even to push someone in a wheelchair there is so much you need to know to do so safely, such as coming of he curb backwards - you need to be so much more aware of the environment when driving the chair, and it again there is the balance of power that the user gives over to the person pushing them.

Learning Points:

• Remember the person in the chair does not want to face the wall in the lift... they want to be able to join in the conversation!!
• Doors are challenging in a wheelchair.