Rebecca Haythorne

This article discusses the history of sensory stories and their role in Occupational Therapy practice as an occupation to increase meaningful activity engagement for individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). This terminology is used more often in international circles, although in the UK the description of profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) is more commonly used.

Occupational therapists can have a significant impact in improving the quality of life for those living in care. In this article, Rebecca Haythorne reflects on her first role as a newly qualified occupational therapist working in residential and nursing homes

Environmental Control Systems (ECS) incorporate technologies that provide opportunities for people with impairments to use and control a range of electronic devices remotely in personable environments (Verdonck, 2014 and Ripat, 2006). Professional providers such as Occupational Therapists (OT) can assess and prescribe ECS to support people with impairments access valuable assistive solutions to everyday living (Cook and Polgar 2008). This article aims to provide a brief overview regarding the value of ECS in promoting functional independence, putting this into clinical perspective through an OT case example.

Background Active recreation denotes engagement with meaningful and rewarding activities that can improve physical and mental well-being for everyone; however, there are specific challenges to participation in active recreation for people with learning disabilities. Aim To understand what hinders and what enables participation in active recreation for people with learning disabilities. Method Using a scoping review framework, we retrieved relevant literature by searching MEDLINE 1946 (Ovid), PsycINFO, CINAHL Complete (EBSCO), Scorpus, PubMed and Web of Science. We extracted data, charted and synthesised them using the Model of Human Occupation (Kielhofner, 2008) and the social–ecological model (Boulton, Horne & Todd, 2017). Findings Nineteen studies met our inclusion criteria. Key barriers identified in the studies included caregiver/coach knowledge and skill, caregiver resources, relational, environmental and individual capabilities. Key facilitators included choice, needs-based tailored activities, positive relationships, consideration of cognitive and functional ability, motivational incentives and policy and organisational factors. Conclusions Participation in active recreation involves a complex interaction between individuals with learning disabilities, their caregivers and their wider organisational and community networks. This relationship warrants further exploration from the perspective of people with learning disabilities and their proxies, so that we can optimise how we design and deliver active recreational pursuits for this population.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted on service provision for adults who have a learning disability, resulting in reduced occupational activities, routine, and social contact. Objective To analyse referrals received for Occupational Therapy intervention for adults who have a learning disability pre-COVID-19 (2019) and during COVID-19 (2020). Method This is a descriptive study conducted as a service evaluation with an NHS Trust Clinical Effectiveness Team in a city in the North of England. The data source was obtained from referral documentation. Quantitative and qualitative data were extracted from a data Performa and analysed using descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, and standard deviation) performed by the Software Microsoft Excel. Results The total number of cases used in this evaluation was 274. There was an increase in referrals during the COVID-19 pandemic, the greatest increase was for Occupational Therapy intervention focusing on engagement in meaningful occupation. Over both years the predominant referrals were for equipment reviews. Conclusion Data collected captures a broad range of information regarding Occupational Therapy service provision pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic and puts this in the context of future considerations regarding the Occupational Therapy services for adults who have a learning disability.

Introduction: The number of women surviving after breast cancer is increasing, along with the length of time they are living with the after-effects of treatment. Although the treatment’s effects are known to impact occupational participation, little is known about how breast cancer could affect occupational identity. This study aims to illuminate the lived experience of women long-term after breast cancer treatment through an occupational perspective in order to explore how they perceive their occupational identity. Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted with six women, who had all received a diagnosis of breast cancer and treatment for longer than a year. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Three intertwined themes describe the participants’ experience. (1) ‘Disruptions in daily life and Environmental support’, (2) ‘Be able to do’ and identity, and (3) ‘Doing what matters and is possible’. Findings revealed that the occupational identities of the participants were maintained. Cancer treatment effects appear to impact occupational competence that corresponded to participants’ occupational identities, suggesting difficulties in the order of occupational adaptation. Conclusion: Our findings contribute to understanding the challenges to occupational participation related to the occupational identity of women following breast cancer and treatment.

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) have the capacity to promote healthy behaviours in young children through routine ‘contact points’, as well as structured weight management programmes. This scoping review aims to evaluate the impact of AHPs in the prevention of obesity in young children. Databases were searched for relevant evidence between 1st January 2000 and 17th January 2022. Eligibility criteria included primary evidence (including, but not limited to; randomized controlled trials, observational studies, service evaluations) evaluating the impact of AHPs on the primary and secondary prevention of obesity in young children (mean age under 5 years old). AHP-related interventions typically demonstrated improvements in outcomes such as nutritional behaviour (e.g. lower sweetened drink intake), with some reductions in screen time. However, changes in weight outcomes (e.g. body mass index (BMI) z-score, BMI) in response to an AHP intervention were inconsistent. There was insufficient data to determine moderating effects, however tentative evidence suggests that those with a lower socioeconomic status or living in an underprivileged area may be more likely to lose weight following an AHP intervention. There was no evidence identified evaluating how AHPs use routine ‘contact points’ in the prevention of obesity in young children. AHP interventions could be effective in optimizing weight and nutritional outcomes in young children. However, more research is required to determine how routine AHP contact points, across the range of professional groups may be used in the prevention of obesity in young children.