Occupational therapy (Spinal Cord Injury Centre)
The Occupational Therapy (OT) service in the Spinal Cord Injury Centre commences at acute admission and continues through to discharge into the community and also offers ongoing outpatient support. Patients are allocated a named Occupational Therapist for the duration of their admission. The main areas of OT intervention are:
Daily living skills: for example - training and practice in self-care and domestic tasks such as washing, dressing, feeding, drinking, grooming and housekeeping. We also offer assessment for appropriate equipment, fabrication of one-off adaptations and the opportunity to practice skills in our independent living assessment unit (Graham Hill Unit).
Bed mobility and functional transfers: for example - training and practice in bed mobility and in getting to and from the bed, wheelchair, shower chair, toilet, bath, stair lift, sofa, car and other transfers for daily living.
Wheelchair, posture and cushion requirements: for example - trial and assessment for a wheelchair (manual and/or powered) that allows for maximum independence. Identification of appropriate pressure relieving cushions. Posture assessment and identification of correction/support systems required. Liaison then takes place with each patient's local wheelchair service for provision of equipment.
Hand therapy: for example - maintaining range of movement, oedema management, assessment and training of functional potential, splint provision to prevent deformity, maintain aesthetics and replace function.
Communication aids: for example - trial of equipment to aid communication such as telephone adaptations, writing splints, computer keyboard hand splints, mouth sticks, environmental control units. We also refer to ASPIRE for computer assessments/advice and for accessing assistive technology devices e.g. eye blink computers. For further information visit www.
Community living skills: for example - advice on returning to work, returning to driving, training and practice in advanced wheelchair skills (slopes, kerbs, rough terrain, stairs), arranging driving lessons, assistance with establishing routines and problem solving.
Environmental modifications: for example - assessing and identifying home/work/school adaptations in liaison with the community team.
For further information contact:
Tel: 020 8909 5509
Useful information: