"My role as an Occupational Therapist is part of a collaborative effort between our care team, patients and their caregivers. Through understanding their needs, we explore ways to care for our patients and meet these needs through rehabilitation and therapy. Because of the fast-paced nature of the acute inpatient setting, we have a short period of time with patients in the hospital, and may not always be able to come up with tailored, practical and sustainable solutions to help them manage at home. This is especially so with the elderly and patients with dementia, as they require additional care, support and time in rehabilitation to recover.
I value the feeling of satisfaction that comes with enabling people to do what is important to them. This can even be as basic as being able to button a shirt or comb their hair! In an acute setting, I may not always get to see the full progress of a patient’s recovery, so it’s the little steps of improvement and positive interactions with patients and caregivers that encourage me.
The key to thrive is to have an open mind and attitude to learn and go with the flow. The hospital is dynamic and fast-paced, so you need to develop self-management strategies to adapt to the nature of the job. More importantly, what matters is that we have a heart to care for others, and do the best that we can for them."
- Serene Lee, Occupational Therapist, Rehabilitative Services, Changi General Hospital
Originally published on CGH Facebook. Read more here.
