Physiotherapy

LAOIS

Description
Chartered Physiotherapists are health professionals allied to the medical profession.  They use physical means such as exercise, manual therapy and electrotherapy to treat pain, injury and disability.

Structure
There are twelve physiotherapy departments in the Midland Health Board:

Service Provided
Conditions treated by physiotherapy include

• Cerebral Palsy
• Spina Bifida
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Motor Neurone Disease
• Head Injury
• Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
• Stroke

The objective of physiotherapy intervention is to maximise physical fitness, well-being, musculo-skeletal function, mobility, functional independence and quality of life.

Access
Clients are referred to the physiotherapy services by Medical Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Public Health Nurses and other Health Professionals.  Self referrals are accepted from clients who already have contact with the physiotherapy service.  Members of the public who access the department directly are offered information, advice and arrangements for appropriate follow-up are put in place if necessary.

All physiotherapy services in the Midland Health Board are free of charge.

Contact Name & Address

Occupational Therapy

Description
The Occupational Therapy Service is committed to assisting the Midland Health Board in achieving their objectives towards maximising the health (health gain) and quality of life (social gain) of the clients referred to Occupational Therapy. This is achieved through appropriate assessment and intervention by Occupational Therapists as part of the services offered by the Board to those who are temporarily or permanently impaired or disabled by physical and/or mental illness or by social or developmental problems.

Definition of Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is the use of purposeful activity to restore or maintain a persons ability to function independently at his/her maximum level of function.

The objective of serves for people with physical and sensory disabilities is to combine work and leisure activities with client-centred rehabilitation and care needs, with the key aim of promoting full participation in society and their local communities.

Structure
Day services and residential respite services are co-ordinated by Occupational Therapists who report to the Head Occupational Therapist in their locality who in turn report to the General Manager.

Service Provided
18-65 Age Group

Services are available in the designated centres, through outreach programmes and in clients homes. The services provided at the designated centres also include - physiotherapy, tutoring in skills, recreational and sporting activities etc.which are co-ordinated by the Occupational Therapist.

Those not attending designated centres and not within the 18-65 age group receive Occupational Therapy Services in their locality at departments in the acute hospitals, elderly care units, health centres and in their own homes.

Occupational Therapy interventions are designed to: -

• Diminish or control pathology
• Restore and/or reinforce functional capacity
• Facilitate learning of skills and functions essential for daily life
• Promote and maintain health

• Assessment of Need
• Effect change in functional Performance in daily life -
  • Self care
  • Domestic
  • Work
  • Leisure
• Effect change in Cognitive Function
• Effect change in Perceptual Function
• Effect change in Sensory Function
• Management of stress/Anxiety
• Management of joint deformity/protection
• Management of wheelchair mobility
• Management of Tone
• Management of Care
  • General management - advice, support, counselling
  • Lifting/handling
  • Transfers
• Management of Posture/Tissue protection through appropriate seating
• Management of the Environment - including housing adaptations, transport, car adaptations, barrier free design, links with Community facilities and services including public buildings
• Prescription of Technical Aids and Appliances - including training, supplying, fabrication, modification
• Effecting change on specific component skills affecting performance
• Linkage to other services and agencies - research, advise, support, inform
• Diversional Therapy
• Effect change in behavioural function.
• Effect change in emotional function

Also please refer to the following for Residential and Day Services provided:

• Arus Eoghain
• Phoenix Resource Centre
• Clochan House

Access
Access to services at designated centres is by application form which can be obtained from the Occupational Therapist, Co-ordinator of the centre and is completed by the client.  For services outside of the centres access is by written referral from General Practitioners, Public Health Nurses, Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists and other Health Professionals. Standard Referral Forms are available from hospital and community based Occupational Therapists.

Contact Name & Address
Ms M. Morgan, Occupational Therapy Manager Laois/Offaly