Elim hospital celebrates occupational therapy week

Occupational therapy practitioners at the Elim Hospital play an important role in the community, not only in terms of immediate health care, but also in driving projects aimed at making patients independent and productive.

During the occupational therapy awareness campaign last week, wheelchair users, mentally ill people, caregivers for disabled people and disabled patients were invited to participate in various activities. The activities were aimed at assisting patients to be independent and to sustain themselves despite their illness. The communities were also educated about the importance of the profession and its benefits to the patients.

As part of informing patients about the significance of their independence, mental health patients who were trained in the hospital exhibited products manufactured as part of the various projects. Projects such as beading, pillow making and baking were initiated by the practitioners at the hospital to help boost the morale and independence of mental health patients.

The activities arranged during the awareness campaign also included fun activities such as a wheelchair race, a sack race and a tug-of-war. Those activities were meant to improve the patients’ self-esteem, personal management, judgement and concentration.

Ms Rosemary Mpilo from the therapy unit said they tried to encourage patients through their training activities. “We invited motivational speakers to motivate patients. We also allowed caregivers and disabled patients to share their experiences,” she said. She reckoned that sharing experiences with caregivers and professional doctors would improve the manner of looking after the patients.

“Our mode of treatment is routine activities to ensure that patients are recovering from their illness,” she added.

Date:30 October 2014

By: Phathutshedzo Luvhengo

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