OTnews November 2011
Welcome to the November 2011 issue of OTnews
This month sees us present another ‘special focus issue’, with examples of the innovative work and research out there around occupational therapy with older people and dementia.
Reminiscence therapies are nothing new to OTs working with this client group, but Andy Chaplin from Foundations suggests on page 21 that ‘retro-decorating’ can also go a long way to helping older people with dementia remain at home independently living for longer. Using the case study of a male client, based in Lancaster, Mr Chaplin demonstrates how the use of vintage furniture, old objects and even old pictures and posters has prompted him to remember more positive, self-reliant times, with encouraging signs for the future.
In a similar vein, OT Lynn Malloy has been looking at the evidence base around what makes mealtimes for people living with dementia more ‘food for thought’ then ‘fuel for the body’. Taking 13 separate studies, Lynn presents her findings around how changes to the mealtime environment – including seating, service and other prompts – the mealtime experience and education and training all impact on people’s experience. Turn to page 24 to find out more.
Then, on page 30, Julie Drew explains how St Monica Trust is driving a ‘whole home’ approach to dementia care, not just focusing on the physical environment, but also equipping staff with the right skills and knowledge to sustain an empowering social environment. Turning to research, Maria McManus updates us on the work of the Dementia Services Development Centre in Northern Ireland (page 35), while Jennifer Wenborn reports on building the evidence base for non-pharmacological interventions to support people with dementia and their carers on page 33.
Don’t forget that this month COT is urging members to participate in ‘Occupational Therapy Week’ – being marked from 7 to 13 November. Andrew Mickel is supporting people to ‘grab a pen and do something different’ during the week; writing to key commissioners, managers, funders, or even politicians about the importance of the profession. Full details are on pages 28 and 29, including a sample letter and advice from COT on who to get in contact with and how to go about it, but please let us know of your successes in OT Week events, as a special map will be compiled on our website so you can log on to follow local stories.
Finally, COT apologises to new graduates for a technical issue last month, which resulted in a number of errors in the graduate listing. Turn to page 45 for a fully amended reprint.
- Raising dementia awareness with care home staff – A dementia focus starts with a view on working with care staff
- A step back in time to help with the future – How retro-decorating helps keep people in their homes for longer
- A positive approach to setting up a new service – The challenges of fitting in to a non-traditional setting
- Appetite for life – Making meal times count in dementia care
- Dementia care training: does it make a difference? – Enhancing dementia care through staff training
- Grab a pen and do something different for OT Week – A guide to contacting key strategic figures to support your service
- A ‘whole home’ approach to dementia care – Putting OT ideas on dementia care into practice
- Building the evidence – The evidence base for non-pharmacological interventions
- Making a difference in dementia care – An update on the Dementia Services Development Centre
