Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy uses meaningful activities to help people from all ages prevent, reduce or overcome effects of disabilities. Our occupational therapists aim to develop, enhance and maintain a person’s capacity to perform the tasks and roles essential to productive living, including self-care, daily living, leisure/play, work/education and social participation.

• Women's Services
  • Gynaecological Oncology
• Children's Services
  • Mental Health Service
  • Seating and Positioning services
  • Pain Management
  • Group Programs
• Orthopaedic Services
• Our Key Team

Women’s Services:

Gynaecological Oncology

We assess the functional status of in-patients and assist them in maintaining their level of function and independence in areas of self-care and activities of daily living (ADL) through ADL training as well as education on the types of adaptive aids and equipment prescription for home safety.

We work closely with doctors and multi-disciplinary teams on appropriate placements and services to suit patients’ needs, considering their physical, socio-cultural and economic circumstances. We also carry out home visits to ascertain modifications which need to be made to improve home safety and facilitate a patient’s choice to returning home. Caregiver training is also offered to educate patients’ families about caring for the patients at home.

Children’s Services:

We aim to develop the full potential of every child and assist children in participating in home, school, play and leisure activities. We provide occupational therapy for children of all ages ranging from babies to adolescents to address:

• Developmental delay
• Intellectual disability
• Handwriting difficulties
• Attention and behavioural problems
• Learning difficulties
• Motor-coordination difficulties
• Difficulties in sensory processing
• Visual perceptual difficulties
• Difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) 
• Neurological conditions (e.g. cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury)
• Orthopaedic conditions (e.g. hand and upper limb problems)

Children referred for occupational therapy are assessed on their ability to perform in the context of their family and environmental circumstances despite injuries, physical challenges or developmental disabilities. Intervention is primarily delivered at the hospital, and continued at home and school to facilitate the development of age-appropriate skills and behaviours for self-care, school, play and leisure activities. These interventions include:

• Neuro-rehabilitation
• Sensory, perceptual and motor retraining
• Fine motor skills training
• Skills acquisition including handwriting and activities of daily living skills
• Play and social skills training
• Cognitive rehabilitation
• Seating and positioning
• Upper limb techniques including hand therapy and splinting
• Scar management
• Home modification/home, preschool, school visits
• Enuresis and encopresis management
• Management of feeding difficulties (combined clinic with Speech and Language Therapist)

Mental Health Service

We provide mental health services for children where behavioural or emotional factors may play a part in affecting their abilities to fully participate in meaningful and age appropriate occupations. Occupational therapists aim to help children develop adaptive skills to enable them to cope better with activities from home and school. We also work closely with family members to empower them to foster positive relationships with their children and learn to assist their children to develop adaptive skills.

Interventions conducted by our occupational therapists include:

• For parents:
  • Fostering positive relationships through modalities such as play activities
  • Caregiver training
• For children:
  • Assertiveness training/Strengths building
  • Emotional regulation
  • Relaxation Techniques/Stress Management
  • Lifestyle Management/Leisure Exploration
  • Energy conservation

Seating and Positioning Clinic

This clinic caters to children facing challenges in engaging in daily activities due to the presence of physical disabilities. Our occupational therapists assess the functional abilities of the child an prescribe suitable aids. Through these specialiased aids, we aim to:

1. Maximise independence in engaging in meaningful activities
2. Encourage community mobility
3. Maintain skeletal, muscle and skin integrity
4. Enable caregivers to provide caregiving needs easily
5. Provide comfort

We work closely with our children and their caregivers to explore different aids and assist them in learning how to use these aids appropriately and effectively.

Pain Management

Our occupational therapists assess the impact of pain on the self-care, work, leisure and social roles of children with complaints of pain. We collaborate with patients and parents/caregivers to enhance the child’s quality of life and ability to participate in meaningful activities, by adapting and encouraging self-care, work, leisure and social activities within the child’s functional abilities and pain parameters. We impart lifestyle management skills, including activity pacing, planning and prioritising, anxiety management, relaxation skills, ergonomics, working within pain tolerance, using assistive devices and environmental adaptations.

Group Programs

We conduct group programs, usually for groups of 4-6 children, during the school holidays:

• Music and Movement Group:
  Aimed at facilitating better postural stability, control and motor coordination skills, the group hopes to provide a fun environment for children to learn and develop confidence in participating in motor activities that they may find difficulties with.
• Handwriting Group:
  Using a fun and multi-sensory approach, the group aims to improve a child's quality of handwriting, increase motivation in writing, and enhance a child's ability to maintain attention to complete handwriting activities in group context. 
• Social Skills Group:
  This group is run by an Occupational Therapist and a Speech and Language Therapist. Good social skills are critical to successful functioning in life. This program caters to children experiencing social and/or communication difficulties, such as trouble understanding and displaying appropriate body language, difficulty initiating and maintaining conversations with peers, as well as reduced spontaneous interaction and collaboration in play. 
• School Readiness Group:
  Aimed to facilitate successful transition of children into primary school setting, the group hopes to provide opportunities for children to work and play together, learn and follow group rules and instructions, and improve sustained attention to table top tasks.
• Building Resiliency Group:
  Being able to handle and adapt to stressful school-based situations are essential skills that school going children should have. This group caters to children experiencing poor self esteem, bullying issues and/or difficulties coping with school.

Orthopaedic Services

We assist patients who find their daily routine activities affected as a result of orthopaedic problems to become as independent as possible. This service benefits patients with congenital hand deformities, arthritis, repetitive strain injuries, limitations following orthopaedic surgery, burns and upper extremity fractures or other injuries from falls.

Our orthopaedic services include:

• Upper Extremity Rehabilitation
• Splinting
• Office Ergonomics
• Scar Management
• Activity Modification
• Joint Protection

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