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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Before reporting in detail on the year's work under review, it is necessary to
point out that occupational therapy in a Borough such as West Ham can never be purely
diversional. Almost every type of patient has his own personal problems which are
entirely individual, and therapy therefore has to be carefully devised to meet his
special needs, whether it be preparation for re-employment, complete re-education for
a new life both domestic and working, or an attempt to arrest a progressive or chronic
illness by exercising the parts of the body affected.
The largest group is that of tuberculosis patients. This group includes both
active and convalescent persons each requiring a different approach, e.g. the patient
suffering from active T.B. is limited to certain forms of occupational therapy not
requiring any great physical effort.
The chronic sick and geriatric group includes many elderly people living entirely
by themselves, and it is these patients who are particularly appreciative of an occupational
therapy service. Visits are very welcome to such patients, and careful consideration is
given to the type of therapy used with the main object of relieving the boredom of long
days spent alone.
Example 1. Mrs. A.
Mrs. A. is an O.A.P. who lives quite alone and is crippled with osteo-arthritis.
Occupational Therapy and the visiting it entails have been a delight to her as there is
always a visit to look forward to. The therapy she is doing is exercising her hands,
assisting in keeping them mobile and useful, which is essential.
When visited first, she was unable to grip anything even lightly, but she can now
hold a comb, etc. and is able to move her arm sifficlently to do her hair with comparative
ease to a few months ago. She works hard at her therapy, as she realises it is helping her
to keep her independence.
During the year under review, January and February were the usual busy months,
but March was even busier as this involved all the preparation for moving to new larger
premises at 383, High Street, Stratford.
Group Therapy.
The progress made during the year in this section of the work has been particularly
gratifying. In the second week in April the service moved to the new accommodation, and
though it took a week or two to settle in, it was such a vast improvement from the point of
view of size and floor space that it was possible to consider Group Therapy. In May, group
therapy was commenced in a modest way on Monday and Thursday afternoons. The patients
seemed to enjoy themselves, became very friendly with each other and took an interest in
other members' problems.
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