Scottish judo star, Stephanie Inglis, has thanked the world for helping save her life.
The Commonwealth Games medalist, who was given a 1% chance of survival after a bike accident in Vietnam, praised family, friends and supporters for aiding her incredible recovery.
And one person in particular has been invaluable: the occupational therapist who has been helping her relearn simple tasks so she can come home . . . and even restart her judo training.
Stephanie’s story underlines the incredible importance of occupational therapy.
It’s close to physiotherapy but has the practical purpose of helping people live more independent lives, whether their problems are caused by injury, physical or mental illness or ageing.
The occupational therapist will often work alongside a physiotherapist and social workers. They can be in a hospital setting but seeing where people work and live is also vital for helping patients function well in their homes and workplaces.
This is a real one-to-one business with people skills high on the list for your s1jobs CV. So, if helping people of all ages and from all walks of life is something that ticks a box in your career plan, this could be perfect for you
There are basic skills the vast majority of us will have throughout our lives, so when they are taken away people can feel frustrated or embarrassed.
This is where patience and a personality that can encourage are important.
Occupational therapy will also allow you to max on your creative thinking skills while using a knowledge of medical science – so formal training is a must.
There are degrees in occupational therapy and postgraduate qualifications, if you have a degree in another healthcare area.
This training will provide the skills required to approach every situation but on-the-job training will be the key to learning ways to motivate people who at times find everyday life extremely difficult.
Joining the British Association of Occupational Therapists is handy to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in care techniques.
It’s true to say occupational therapy is one of the most diverse roles in healthcare and can be challenging – but like most roles that challenge it can also bring joy.
Seeing progress, no matter how big or small, is quite possibly the most rewarding part of the job.
Sometimes the first steps really are the most exciting.