LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine University ...

lVr-KlINIKUM DÜSSelDOrF – HOSPItal OF tHe HeINrIcH-HeINe UNIVerSItY DÜSSelDOrF
– this is what distinguishes ergotherapy from simply doing
handicrafts. The treatment aims to restore, improve or
compensate for skills and functions the individual has
completely or partially lost as a consequence of his illness.
Nearly all units of the hospital provide such ergotherapy
treatment. On top of that, occupational therapy sessions
are also on offer. In contrast to the ergotherapy courses,
however, occupational therapy is organised on a centralised
basis for the entire hospital. Roughly one third of the
approximately 25 ergotherapists work in this area.
Occupational therapists instruct patients in how to complete
specific tasks to achieve certain therapeutic objectives. The
hospital operates five occupational therapy areas: wood,
office, gardening, housekeeping and industry. Patients from
different departments and units of the hospital jointly use
these therapy courses, which are provided in designated
central therapy facilities. Between 100 and 150 people per
month are treated in this way.
The occupational therapy unit also features a small number
of places with day care. This programme allows patients to
receive uninterrupted treatment before they return to their
jobs or start a rehabilitation programme. During the past
four years, about 70 day care patients per year attended
these courses for an average duration of approximately five
months.
On top of that, a new option of “outpatient ergotherapy”
was added in 2005. This new offer allows people to continue
their ergotherapy treatment as outpatients after they have
been discharged from the hospital. People who have had
no previous contact with our hospital can also join the
outpatient ergotherapy courses. One key difference to the
day care occupational therapy is the wide use of all therapy
tools of psychiatric ergotherapy – such as creative design
and cognitive training – in addition to activities of work in the
narrower sense of the word. Whereas day care occupational
therapy courses are generally scheduled every day (and are
also designed to occupy much of the day and structure it),
outpatient ergotherapy is provided in a remedial function
(much in the way of speech therapy and physiotherapy) for
no more than two consecutive hours once or twice a week.
Outpatient ergotherapy courses are attended by about fifteen
people a month. We still have very little reliable information
about the effects of occupational therapy and ergotherapy.
Bachelor and other degree theses – to be written by young
scientists from the unit – are about to address this deficit.
52
Creative therapy
Director: F. Mecklenbeck
The term “creative therapy” describes different forms of
therapy, all of which encourage the patients to express
themselves artistically. The LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf offers
courses in art therapy, creative social therapy, music therapy
and dance therapy. In all of these courses, communication is
always conducted in the language of the medium. Creative
therapy is activity and experience centred. People express
themselves through an activity, which is associated with
an intense experience. Both therapist and patient are
emotionally involved. The change takes place without taking
a detour via the spoken word. Verbal reflections, however,
are part of the therapy, creating another dimension for the
patients in which they can question their behaviour through
cognitive insights and develop new forms of conduct. Each
creative therapy is characterised by different methods,
techniques and objectives that may be applied depending on
the individual patient’s illness and the therapist’s strategies.
Creative therapy is a target-oriented form of treatment which
may be used as a diagnostic tool and to achieve indicationbased,
precisely defined treatment objectives. Both individual
and group sessions are possible. This type of therapy is
generally suitable for all patients with emotional, social,
cognitive and psychomotor problems. Creative therapies
are offered by all departments and divisions of the LVR-
Klinikum Düsseldorf. The hospital has been certified as a
teaching institution for music therapy in Germany, Austria
and Switzerland, as a teaching institution for creative therapy
in the Netherlands, and – as the only one among all similar
institutions in Germany – as a “Clinical Training Facility” by
the American Music Therapy Association. All creative therapy
facilities at the Klinikum have dedicated and well-equipped
therapy rooms.
Publications
Mecklenbeck F (2001): Musiktherapie in den Rheinischen Kliniken
Düsseldorf. In: Mit allen Sinnen, video/DVD 54 Min., LVR Cologne/
Medienzentrum Düsseldorf
Pirkl U (2001): Tanztherapie in den Rheinischen Kliniken Düsseldorf.
In: Mit allen Sinnen, video/DVD 54 Min., LVR Cologne/Medienzentrum
Düsseldorf