One of the toughest parts of the ageing process is losing the ability to do things that once were incredibly simple. Fortunately, this is where occupational therapy can help and through which older residents can be given the opportunity to gain back some of their independence.
Occupational therapy is a process that involves helping people at all stages of life (from toddlers to older persons) to develop, maintain, or recover the skills they need to do daily activities that are meaningful and necessary. The type of occupational therapy a person receives will vary greatly on their needs. For example, a person with Parkinson’s disease will receive a different treatment to a young child with Scoliosis.
At the Somerset Care centre our residents have weekly occupational therapy. Zerina, our wonderful TA (therapeutic assistant) organises activities for our residents. The activities are not just things to keep people busy but are designed to encourage
- socialisation,
- physical activity,
- cognitive abilities and
- creativity.
She even arranged an outing – the first since lockdown for some. Zerina arranged the Valentine’s Day and Easter tea and bingo that some of our village residents participated in. Our residents love the time – especially when she brings treats (ice cream in particular!). Zerina assesses each person’s ability, in order to provide activities of an appropriate level – and to things that they find interesting- although she also manages to expose abilities and personality traits that we did not know were there!
Great care has been made in the design of the Care Centre to be residential and not feel like a hospital or institution. At the Somerset, our aim is to support our residents to live independently as possible and this is included in the design of the Care Centre. Some design elements include wide corridors and handrails, beautiful but Hospital grade vinyl non-slip / non flooring non-glare, lovely seating with height and seat depth and armrest – which promotes independence, lovely bathrooms with turn wheelchair and assistive devices.
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