“There’s a lot of variety in my role; no two days are the same. I work 1:1 with patients on the IPU, but the other half of my time is spent planning and helping to run the groups we offer to patients in the community.
We tailor the groups to those who attend. That means understanding their individual needs, and planning exercises that will be appropriate for them. I’m involved with various exercise groups such as Pilates and Yoga, and have also assisted with some of our Wellbeing Nature Walks.
We have the Wellbeing Project twice a week and I help run that. A group of volunteers come to the IPU and we plan what they can do with specific patients for that session. It’s very much patient led. If we have someone who is artsy, we can accommodate that, but sometimes a patient just wants a cup of tea and a chat. This can often lead to significant conversations, such as what the future might look like.
As an assistant to the Physiotherapist and the Occupational Therapist, I help implement the treatment plans they’ve put in place for patients. For instance, I might encourage a patient to carry out the exercises in their plan or help them with additional goals they might want to achieve. I also gather information about home life in preparation for discharge.
I love working within the Wellbeing team, making positive changes for those we support. We don’t treat them as patients, we treat them as the people they are.”