Patient Experience
Occupational therapy (OT) is a healthcare profession in which people with physical, psychological and social problems are supported to help live their life to the fullest. Occupational therapists (OTs) help people to do the everyday activities that they want and need to do when faced with illness, injury, disability or challenging life events (Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland, 2020).
Occupational Therapy is part of the SCOPe Directorate
We provide services to:
Referrals are only accepted for patients who are currently under the care of a consultant at St James’s Hospital. We operate a waiting list system and all patients are prioritised in order of clinical need.
We do not accept referrals from GPs.
Medicine for the Elderly
The OT medicine for the elderly (MedEl) team provides therapy in both one-to-one and group sessions.
Traditional OT groups include:
Rehabilitation also involves:
This OT team works closely with the multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive assessment, rehabilitation and discharge planning for patients. The team covers all medical and surgical inpatient wards and specialties include:
If required, a home assessment is completed to identify specific environmental modifications and care needs in preparation for discharge. Adaptive equipment can be provided to patients to facilitate a safe and sustainable discharge home such as stair rails, toilet aids, bed levers, and/or orthopaedic chairs.
Patients have access to specialised seating and pressure care systems which can be issued by an OT following a comprehensive seating assessment.
Our Emergency Department OTs focus on admission avoidance, hand therapy (for closed hand injuries) and concussion.
We have a dedicated neurology outpatient service. Our multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease service is both preventative and rehabilitative, aiming to minimise the impact of the condition on daily living, maximise independence and reduce the likelihood of hospital admission.
Our oncology and haematology OT team provides individual interventions to inpatients and outpatients as well as collaborating with an occupational therapy physician in coordinating the delivery of the National Cancer Control Programme Cancer Survivorship Programme.
Our burns/ plastic surgery and hand therapy OT teams work closely with surgeons to implement the appropriate post-operative care for patients.
The OT Orthopaedic Service is led by a clinical specialist OT who assesses and treats patients and refers them for consultant review if required.
Our Rheumatology Outpatient Service is delivered by a senior OT treating inflammatory and osteoarthritis diagnoses.
SMART Programme
The Specialised Memory and Attention Rehabilitation Therapy Programme (SMART) is an outpatient cognitive rehabilitation programme, supporting patients with mild dementia and their families/carers. SMART enables people with early-stage memory difficulties to remain as independent as possible in everyday activities in their home environment.
Concussion service:
The OT Department provides a follow-up service for those who present to the Emergency Department with a concussion. Treatment varies according to the individual needs of each person and can include education regarding symptom management, cognitive assessments, fatigue management, sleep hygiene and strategies to support returning to work and meaningful occupations.
The Occupational Therapy Department is dedicated to the development of future practitioners and facilitates approximately twelve undergraduate student placements each academic year.
A practice tutor works as part of the OT Practice Education team in Trinity College Dublin. Practice tutors educate students and coordinate all undergraduate students’ clinical placements in collaboration with OTs, who provide practice education.