Occupational Therapy If you were to ask someone what was important to them in life they would probably say living independently. This can mean different things to different people; however it usually involves being able to undertake specific, desired activities throughout the course of the day. The activities might be things someone needs to be able to do, or simply things they enjoy doing, and can be in any area of life. Occupational Therapy is about helping people to live a productive and enjoyable life. It aims to maximise an individual’s ability to participate in activities of daily living and maximise their independence. Being active can have a positive effect on our mood and how we feel about ourselves. When someone has a life limiting illness the effects of the illness, or sometimes the treatments for it, can affect a person’s ability to be as active and independent as they were. However, regardless of the cause of the problem or the stage of the illness the Palliative Care Occupational Therapy Service works with individuals to help them remain active and independent for as long as possible. Sometimes as a result of their illness people experience symptoms that can affect their ability to carry out daily living tasks. An example of a symptom is breathlessness. In this instance the Occupational Therapist would teach techniques to enable the person to manage the symptoms more effectively. Learning techniques to manage symptoms can often enable people to be more active. If you are experiencing a change in how you manage activities of daily living as a result of a life limiting illness, you can ask to be referred to the Palliative Care Occupational Therapist. Any health care professional such as a Hospice at Home Nurse, Doctor, District Nurse or Social Worker, will be able to do this for you. The Palliative Care Occupational Therapy Service comprises of Jan Spencer, Occupational Therapist Kath Bell, Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner Work base - Eden Valley Hospice, Durdar Road, Carlisle. CA2 4SD Core work hours - Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. Telephone – 01228 603739 0771816361 (mobile) For more information about Occupational Therapy you can visit the College of Occupational Therapy website at http://www.cot.co.uk/