Occupation

Abstracts Tuesday 28 June 2016
Author Biographies
Sally has 25+ years experience as an occupational therapist in
the West Midlands and is currently Head Paediatric Occupational
Therapist for the Heart of England Foundation NHS Trust. She
has recently completed a PhD at Coventry University and is a
Trustee of the Dyspraxia Foundation in her spare time. Sally has
a particular interest in teenagers with DCD/dyspraxia, the focus
of her postgraduate research and has published and presented
both in the UK and abroad.
Gillian Ward is an occupational therapist and principal lecturer
in assistive technology at Coventry University. She has a keen
interest in the use of assistive technology to support older
people and those with long term conditions. She engages in
applied research in this area and has a successful track record
of attracting research funding. She is currently seconded to the
Health Design and Technology Institute at Coventry University
to support workforce development needs in relation to assistive
technology, leads and engages in applied research and provides
academic leadership, governance and ethical advice on usability
studies of assistive technology products.
Session 2.3
Cognitive educational group for families/carers of
patients with neurological conditions
Savory S, Kelly H, Townsend S, The Walton Centre NHS
Foundation Trust
The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is one of only three
hospitals in England who provide Level one Hyper-Acute
Specialist Rehabilitation Treatment, in collaboration with The
Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network. The National
Service Framework requirement 10 recommends supporting
families/carers in their relative’s rehabilitation. A Cognitive
Educational Group has been developed and delivered on this
dedicated Hyper Acute Rehabilitation Unit by the Occupational
Therapy (OT) team with support from the Clinical Psychology
team. To our knowledge The Cognitive Educational Group is
the first of its kind within a Hyper Acute Rehabilitation Unit.
The pioneering group programme was established with the
aim to provide education and support to families/carers of
patients who were assessed by the OTs to have cognitive
impairments impacting on their functional ability. The topics
address specific cognitive processes which include: concentration
and attention, memory, anxiety anger and mood, perception,
levels of awareness, cognitive fatigue, dyspraxia and executive
functioning. A self-care for families topic was also developed
to support families to acknowledge the emotional impact on
themselves, and provide them with useful strategies to maintain
emotional and physical wellbeing. The group sessions are held
on a weekly basis and are facilitated by an OT and a clinical
Psychologist. Sessions consist of a presentation, tips to support
family members, a practical task, discussion, and a leaflet to take
away and build a bespoke folder. Effectiveness was evaluated
through regular satisfaction questionnaires and a focus group.
The results were analysed using thematic analysis. Overarching
themes developed included: the process, practicalities, support
and outcome. Subthemes included: peer support, rapport
building with staff, and increased knowledge and containment.
Based on feedback the group is still developing and evolving.
References
Department of Health (2005) National Service Framework: long
term conditions. London: HMSO
Keywords
Neurological practice, Service improvement or transformation,
Interdisciplinary practice, NHS
Contact E-mail Addresses
sinead.savory@thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk
Author Biographies
I qualified as an occupational therapist in 2010 and began
working in Inpatient Neurological Rehabilitation at The Walton
Centre NHS Foundation Trust in the Northwest of England.
I have a strong interest in brain injury and the cognitive
impairments associated with this and their impact on an
individual’s functional ability. I had the innovative idea to
create a group to support people and their families with such
impairments. Alongside the Occupational Therapy team I have
developed and facilitate The Cognitive Educational Group for
families and carers to provide them with a better understanding
of what their relative might be experiencing.
I have worked in Neurological Rehabilitation since 1994,
initially for Wigan & Leigh Trust hospitals in the Neurological
Rehabilitation Unit and the Community Neurological
Rehabilitation Team. I began working at The Walton Centre in
2003. I started to develop the Occupational Therapy Service
within the Neurological Rehabilitation Service. I have been
involved in the development of the Hyper Acute Rehabilitation
Unit and the Complex Rehabilitation Unit and through this work
it was identified that there was limited support for patient’s
relatives, particularly in relation to understanding of cognitive
impairments. I have therefore managed the develpoment of The
Cognitive Educaitonal Group.
Session 2.4
Expectation and experiences: what does therapy
mean for children with cerebral palsy?
Green D, Oxford Brookes University
Aims: The extent to which children with unilateral cerebral palsy
(UCP) engage in therapy has been linked to mastery motivation.
This study explores whether the expectations of children with
UCP, and their perceptions of confidence and competence,
influence their experiences and progress following participation
in an intensive day-camp magic-themed bimanual intensive
therapy.
Methods: A mixed-methods study using semi-structured
interviews, questionnaires and standardised assessments.
Thematic analysis using NVivo10 identified themes regarding
experiences of having a hemiplegia and expectations for therapy.
Expectations were contrasted with reported positivity (HOPE
scale), competence and worry (Children’s Hand Experience
Questionnaire) and motor skill outcomes (Jebsen Taylor Test of
Hand Function).
Results: Data were available from 18 children with UCP and
parents (12 males mean age=8y9m, range=7y to 12y). Thematic
extraction to date identified three main themes relating to skill
change, social relationships, and personal sense of achievement.
Some children reported on the isolating experiences of
performing therapy exercises at school. HOPE scores at pretreatment
correlated with positivity following treatment
(r=0.53, p=0.01) but were not associated with perceptions of
competence or skills nor linked to progress in motor ability.
Children reported to be worried about their skills continued to
be worried after treatment, despite making significant progress
(r=0.716, p