Today, on the first day of Occupational Therapy Week 2022, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) is launching its first ever public health campaign ‘Lift up your everyday with Occupational Therapy (OT) Life Hacks’. The professional body for occupational therapy’s campaign is designed to help people regain that motivation or overcome new or existing challenges to keep doing the things they love and need to do.
The nation’s health is being impacted by crisis after crisis, from the pandemic to the worsening economic situation, with access to services such as GP or hospital appointments hard to come by.
The facts speak for themselves: There were 1 million hospital admissions in 2019/20 where obesity was a factor; 55% of children and young people do not take part in enough physical activity; 13% fewer children born during the pandemic achieved a good level of development than those born before; and 3.7 million people in the UK are chronically lonely: 1 million more than before the pandemic.
Like all areas of healthcare, occupational therapists have seen an increase in demand for their services. In two surveys of RCOT members, 85% of children’s occupational therapists and 82% of occupational therapists working in rehabilitation who responded said there had been an increase in demand for their services over the previous 12 months and six months, respectively.
That’s why occupational therapists (OTs) from around the UK are bringing their expert advice to the nation in the form of ‘OT Life Hacks’: expert advice to help people take small, positive steps to lift up their everyday lives.
Each day during Occupational Therapy Week (7-13 November 2022), new life hacks will be added to the campaign website - www.OTLifeHacks.co.uk - and shared across social media using #OTHacks. The first series of hacks will include advice for elderly people on maintaining muscle tone, which is important for preventing falls and maintaining independence, and tips for everyone on how to develop healthier habits - and stick to them.
Occupational therapists will also provide advice for parents, such as encouraging ‘messy play’ to help boost self confidence in young children, many of whom were deprived of social engagement due to lockdown restrictions.
Young people can benefit from specialist advice on how to learn new skills or manage stressful situations such as preparing for exams or managing their mental health.
‘Often, it’s the things we love to do which can most benefit our health and wellbeing, such as a walk with a friend, dancing or having the family round for a home cooked meal. That’s why our advice is practical, achievable and meant to be fun,’ says Karin Orman, Director of Practice and Innovation at RCOT.
‘We hope this campaign will encourage everyone to take steps towards improving their health which, in turn, will help reduce pressures on health and care services for illnesses and conditions.
‘From increasing our activity levels to ideas to improve our mental health, we can all take steps towards preventing worsening health conditions in the choices we make.
‘Those choices, from hobbies and exercise to food choices and opportunities to socialise, have been limited in recent times, and this has had a detrimental impact on many of our lives.
‘But now, many of these limitations have gone and we believe it’s the right time to refocus our attentions on making positive changes to improve our health and wellbeing.
‘Occupational therapists have the expertise and knowledge to help people get more out of life – and now we’re bringing examples of that knowledge directly to the nation.’
For more information, please contact:
Annabelle Sanderson
020 8971 6408
07867 387119
Lorraine Walters
020 8971 6470
07796 992 853
For more information on the campaign:
Visit: www.OTLifeHacks.co.uk
Search: #OTHacks
Follow us on social media:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/theRCOT
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theRCOT
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.rcot/
References
1 NHS Digital. Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet, England 2021. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-obesity-physical-activity-and-diet/england-2021/part-1-obesity-related-hospital-admissions Accessed October 2022.
2 Sport England. Active Lives Children and Young People Survey. Available at: https://www.sportengland.org/news/childrens-activity-levels-down-many-embrace-new-opportunities Accessed October 2022.
3 Education Endowment Foundation. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children’s socio-emotional wellbeing and attainment during the Reception Year. Available at: https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/documents/projects/EEF-School-Starters.pdf?v=1655719145 Accessed October 2022.
4 Office for National Statistics. Mapping loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/mappinglonelinessduringthecoronaviruspandemic/2021-04-07 Accessed October 2022.
5 RCOT child services workforce survey March 2022. Available at: https://www.rcot.co.uk/news/survey-finds-childrens-services-crisis-point. Accessed October 2022.
6 RCOT rehabilitation services workforce survey March 2022. Available at: https://www.rcot.co.uk/rehabilitation-workforce-survey. Accessed October 2022.