What recovering from Covid19 taught me. - The challenge I now have for the profession.
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Rachel Booth-Gardiner, an occupational therapist with 16 years of experience, contracted COVID-19 in April 2020 and spent over a year hospitalized, including 5 months without any treatment. She had numerous operations and faced challenges such as loss of hair and low mood. Her experience highlighted problems with rehabilitation and a lack of understanding of roles. She now advocates for occupational therapists to understand their roots in activism, be politically aware, use occupational language, and challenge existing systems and barriers to access treatment.
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What recovering from Covid19 taught me. - The challenge I now have for the profession.
- 1. WHAT RECOVERING FROM COVID19 TAUGHT ME. - THE CHALLENGE I NOW HAVE FOR THE PROFESSION. Rachel Booth-Gardiner Occupational Therapist @OT_rach @OTalk_ @AbleOTUK www.ot.rach.com 1
- 2. • Crime Drama Addict, Tin Collect, Vintage Enthusiast, Cat lady, Feminist, Disability Activist, Blogger, Who loves a good pattern. Lead Occupational Therapist - 16 years experience. Cerebral palsy, affecting right side. Dyslexic. Depression Episodes Member of @OTalk Founding member of @AbleOTUK Current favourite Occupation - November 2019 The OT Show
- 3. • April 3rd 2020 Positive for covid 19, Hospitalised Ventilated, Complications 13 month admission About 5 of these in intensive care 5/6 operations Countless tests, scans & X-rays, Nil by month for 5 months Lost all my hair Low mood What happened
- 4. • AHP’s working together to achieve a major goal. Treatment differed Assessment tools? The Boredom. The Therapy
- 5. • Exciting disability Systems Criteria Rehabilitation Communication Understanding of roles Resources Access The Problems and Barriers
- 6. • Emotional Not important Not listen too Not valued A burned Not respected Isolated How I felt Pure Chaos
- 7. Self Awareness. Back to basics - roots within activism. The importance of being politicly aware. Be An Ally. Use Occupational Language. What might be the solution. What this experiences tough me
- 8. • Know Our Roots Be an Active Member Refection on our Privileges Tell your story Listen Be an Ally Be An Activist Question Everything Challenge Everything Your Challenge
- 9. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/18/are-you-too-white-rich- straight-to-be-feminist https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/check-your-privilege-you-might- be-surprised-9256553.html https://ot-rach.com https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/18/nye-bevan-history-of-nhs- national-health-service https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Birth-of-the-NHS/ Professor David Hunter improving Healthcare White Paper Series – No. 3 ©1000 Lives Plus, 2011 page 8 https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/07/john-ruskin-emma- thompson-mike-leigh-film-art Thomas Bessell Kidner and the Development of Occupational Therapy in the United Kingdom: Establishing the Links References - video of
Editor's Notes
- I took up a sediment post to lead a ot team with a forensic unit January 2020, it was a big challenge as the job was about changing dramiclly how ot was delivered, we heard news of an infect, and posters about if you had recently visited china, you should inform someone, but we just carry on, as I'm sure for most of your march 2020, was a challenging month, as the country when in to lockdown, we got up went in to work, with no access to PPE, washing hands and social distancing was put in place, but in the clinical area this was difficult to manage, parents were lock down to there wards, and working out how to deliver an ot service was in this very restricted enrolment was hard draining an confusing, we had so out brakes on the wards, so pep came in but it was limited to staff on wards with positive patients, 3rd April, I began to feel really unwell, when home at lunch and by 3 needed to ring an ambulance, I was placed in the back, and waved to my partner, not know week would not see each other in the flesh till late June. I tested positive for covid when straight to ITU, I have fleeing memories of this time but most April, may and June are a blur. I was ventilated and developed further complications, I developed pancritis, was was part of a national study looking at the links, although not conclusive, the study showed a link. I spend just under 13rd months in hospital being discharge home on 29th April 2021
- I have little memories of the day to day in intensive care, but I had input from pt and salt - At some point during all of this I met and began to engage with Occupational Therapy (OT) staff. Some times joint working with the physio’s. Firstly it was lots of simple exercises to get my muscles moving again, then some sitting on the edge of the bed and out in a chair which I needed hosting for. The OT’s focused on some self care, getting me to attempt to brush my own teeth and hair as well as wash my face. Oh my hair, over time I was losing hair mainly at the sides, unfortunately my long hair got all knotted and staff were unable to brush it out, so it was cut off and I was practically bald. I continued to work with the speech and language therapist (SALT), we made attempts to swallow, tea spoons of water, but I was unable to do this successfully for a long time, once a week the SALT would treat me to a facial and mask, I very much looked forward to these times. My swallow continued to be a problem, and I was unable to drink anything for months, I dreamt of drinking lemonade. I need to have an X-ray of my swallow live, however I needed to be able to tolerate sitting upright in a wheelchair for this. Here’s where a great AHP collaboration took places, the SALT planned the time a place for the X-ray, the physio’s concentrated on building up my core strength. The OT’s located a suitable wheelchair that would fit in the X-ray machine and be wide enough for me to be comfortable, we also practiced hosting in to this chair. Then the day finally came, my whole AHP team accompanied me down for the X-ray. As I attempted to swallow a small bit of stale cake, the SALT held back her tears, I had a perfect swallow, one of the best in Newcastle I was told. All the staff were emotional they had invested a lot of time and effort in me. I was able to eat and drink again the first time in over 5 months. This suddenly become terrifying, as all I could recall was the reasons why I was nil by month for so long, the fear of chocking became my constant fear. I remember crying a lots as I couldn’t face eating, I felt like I was letting people down. But slowly with help from AHPs and ward staff I became to eat small amounts and increase my confidence to eat alone.
- The ultimate goal was to realise John Ruskin’s earlier assertion, often quoted in the war: 4When Macdonald was knighted in 1898, Queen Victoria is reported to have said that Macdonald was ‘the greatest philanthropist in the British Empire’ (Stewart, n.d.). 5Arthur was born in Bristol in 1891. Lilian (b. 1901) and Charles (b. 1904) were born in Truro, Nova Scotia. British Journal of Occupational Therapy July 2007 70(7) 295 This the help beyond all others: find out how to make useless people useful, and let them earn their money instead of begging it. Few are so feeble as to be incapable of all occupation none so faultfull but that occupation, well chosen, and kindly compelled, will be medicine for them in soul and body (Ruskin 1868, no page given). Kidner’s educator roles had exposed him to healthy children and adolescents, helping the former to
- Know our roots Be an activist Be an Ally Refection on our privileges Be part of the drive towards a fairer, more inclusive sociality Question Everything Use your voice, skills and knowledge to make a difference for what is needed Challenge policies, environments, your own privilege, criteria, recourse, information in all aspects of life.