• Location of Department
• Opening Hours
• Contact Details
• Mission statement
• Overview of our Department
• Areas we work in
• What you can expect from Occupational Therapy
• Criteria for Referral
• Department Facilities
• Why work in our department ?
• News and Events
• On-line resources
• Feedback and Comments

Location of Occupational Therapy Department

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The main Occupational Therapy department is located in the physical medicine building near the emergency department. From the main reception area follow signs to the x-ray department and continue straight until you reach occupational therapy. The Care of the Elderly service is located in the Holly Rehabilitation Unit.

Opening Hours

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The service is available from 8 am to 5pm Monday – Friday.

Contact Details

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Ms. Anne Greevy
Occupational Therapy Secretary
Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown
Dublin 15
+353 01 6465470
Email: anne.greevy@hse.ie

What is Occupational Therapy?

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Occupational Therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life (World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 2005). It includes adapting tasks and the environment to maximise the individual's independence and quality of life.

Occupational Therapy Department Mission Statement

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The Occupational Therapy Department aims to provide a high quality equitable service to its clients which enables them to maximise their functional potential thus facilitating an improvement in their quality of life.

We aim to achieve this by:

• Using our resources and especially our staff
• Working with local agencies, community practitioners and services
• Providing training opportunities for staff and students in co-operation with our educational partners.

Overview of the Department

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Currently the department has 12 staff members- a manager, 4 senior therapists, 3 basic grade therapists, 3 therapy assistants and a secretary. It is a multicultural department which welcomes therapists’ diverse skills and backgrounds.

What areas do Occupational Therapists work in?

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Acute Neurology

Occupational Therapists working in this area treat patients following a stroke, head injury, Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s Disease. The Occupational Therapists will assess and treat patients seating, upper limb function, cognition, perception and ability to perform activities of daily living.

In-patient Orthopaedics

The Occupational Therapist works with orthopaedic patients to maximise their independence while in hospital and to facilitate a safe discharge home. The hospital Occupational Therapist often works with the Community Occupational Therapist to provide equipment for use at home.

Emergency Department

The Occupational Therapy Department provides a service to patients attending the emergency department. Patients who have injuries that affect their function, mobility and safety in the home are assessed and treated as appropriate.

Out-patient Orthopedics and Rheumatology

Occupational Therapists working in hands see patients who have reduced or loss of hand function as a result of trauma, sports activity or pathology such as tendon/ nerve lacerations, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, Dupuytren’s Contracture, Fibromyalgia or rheumatological conditions. Patients are seen as out-patients and using therapeutic modalities such as splinting and adaptive techniques aim to help patients return to their previous level of function.

General Medicine

Occupational Therapists working in general medicine treat patients who have had a variety of medical problems including respiratory (breathing), cardiac (heart) and psychological disorders with the aim of improving their functional independence.

Surgery

The Occupational Therapist working in this area deals with patients who have undergone surgery and require assessment and/or retraining of activities of daily living.

Stroke Rehabilitation

The Occupational Therapists work to help stroke patients become as independent as possible in activities of daily living and to rehabilitate patients to the best level possible.

Care of the Elderly

Occupational Therapists assess and treat patients over the age of 65 who are acutely ill. On site facilities such as an assessment kitchen along with a comprehensive multi disciplinary team help patients have a safe and timely discharge home.

What can you expect from Occupational Therapy?

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An initial assessment is carried out with you to identify how your injury, condition or surgical procedure affects your ability to carry out your daily activities. Following assessment, treatment goals are established by the occupational therapist in collaboration with you and your family where appropriate. All goals are specific to your functional level and lifestyle and may involve one or more of the following elements:

• Develop/restore/maintain skills involved in activities of daily living i.e. washing, dressing, toileting, functional mobility and domestic skills.
• Provision of equipment or assistive devices to maintain or develop functional independence
• Rehabilitation can occur through engagement in therapeutic activities
• Splinting: Splints may be fabricated for either upper or lower limbs to correct or prevent deformity, to increase function and/or to rest your joints in a safe position
• Specific treatment to maximise cognitive and perceptual function
• Seating assessment, positioning and pressure relief
• Stress management and lifestyle balance
• Ongoing liaison with family/carers and education where necessary
• Where appropriate a home assessment may be carried out to identify any potential issues or difficulties in the home environment
• If you require further Occupational Therapy following discharge from hospital you may be referred to the Community Occupational Therapist in your local area.

Criteria for Referral

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Referrals are indicated when a patient:

• Is elderly or disabled
• Lives alone and demonstrates a decrease in function compared to their status prior to admission
• Whose carer is unable to continue providing the required level of care
• Has any functional difficulty with self-care
• Is terminally ill
• Has any cognitive impairment or memory loss (e.g. confused, disorientated)
• Has a new onset head injury
• Has challenging behaviour or a learning disability
• Is being considered for alternative placement
• Requires a seating or a positioning assessment
• Has reduced hand or upper extremity function
• Has had a cardiac event (medical or surgical)
• Requires scar management
• Demonstrates perceptual deficits

Occupational Therapy Facilities

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Our Acute and Care of the Elderly services have comprehensive facilities which include the following:

• Purpose-designed hand therapy room
• Assessment kitchen
• Assessment bedroom
• Assessment bathroom
• Treatment room with a variety of therapeutic activities and equipment

Why work in Connolly Hospital?

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Our department:

• Offers support and welcomes new ideas and initiatives
• Provides flexible working hours
• Provides opportunities to rotate through a broad and varied range of clinical areas
• Located near the M5O with large open areas and free staff parking. Easy access to public transport is also available
• Provides the opportunity to work with the only B.T.E. Primus RS machine in Ireland 
• Has extensive facilities for assessment and treatment of patients
• Has links with the schools of occupational therapy in Ireland and offers opportunities to supervise students
• Has weekly department meetings which rotate between business meetings, in-services and journal clubs. This ensures all staff are continually learning and informed of new developments affecting occupational therapy
• Encourages staff to develop their presentation and leadership skills
• Encourages staff to participate in continuing education by attending courses and information days
• Provides weekly supervision for basic grades therapists and monthly supervision for senior therapists
• Has access to the medical library which has an extensive range of medical and rehabilitation journal s and books
• Has an established social club

News and Events

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World Occupational Therapy day occurs on Thursday the 27th of October, 2011. To mark the occasion the O.T. department will have a stand in the lobby of Connolly Hospital to provide information about O.T. and the services we can offer. During the day, the staff of the O.T. department will be giving of their time to answer any questions you may have. Please come and see us there!!!

Occupational Therapy On-Line Resources

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International Associations

Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland http://www.aoti.ie
American Association of Occupational Therapists http://www.aota.org
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists http://www.caot.com
Australian Occupational Therapists Association http://www.ausot.com
World Federation of Occupational Therapists http://www.wfot.com

Feedback & Complaints

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The Occupational Therapy department maintains a high standard of service provision. If you are unhappy with the service you or a family member receives, or have suggestions of ways we can improve our service, please discuss this with your Occupational Therapist in the first instance. You may also speak with the Occupational Therapy Manager by contacting the department secretary. The Patients Service may also be able to help you.