16th SAOTSC Newsletter

THE OT TIMES

A NEWSLETTER BROUGHT TO YOU BY 16TH SAOT SC

SEPTEMBER 2020

CONTENT

Editor's Note

1

Message from SAOT SC President

3

Message from SAOT SC Advisor

5

Message from Programme Director

7

Our Council

9

Collaborative Events Occupational Therapy (OT) Day Circuit Breaker Events Language Lessons

11 14 15

Community Outreach Bishan Home

19

Professional Development Clinical Practice Education Sharing Learning Journey 2020

22 24

Special Events Public Health Service (PHS) 2019 Healthcare Outreach Project (HOP)

30 32

EDITOR'S NOTES Oh Sing Fang, Head of Publicity of 16th SAOT SC

Keeping up with the momentum from the 15th batch, the 16th Singapore Association of Occupational Therapists Student Committee (SAOT SC) has endeavoured to widen and enhance the range of activities introduced to our student members. The student committee has not only come up with many new events, but also collaborated with other allied healthcare students in order to increase the spectrum of activities and cater to the varying interests of the student body. However, with the outbreak of COVID-19, many of our plans have been cancelled or postponed indefinitely.

Facing this unforeseen situation, our committee had adapted quickly to the changes and ideated fresh initiatives to better serve our members.

We were able to tap on our various online platforms such as SAOT SC's website and social media accounts to create opportunities for learning as well as to connect to the student body. Through these outlets, members were able to participate in a myriad of activities, get timely updates, and access information shared during our events.

As we come to the end of our term as the 16th SAOT SC, this annual newsletter has been created to summarise and showcase the events that have been planned and carried out for SAOT student members during the academic year 19-20. We hope that the events introduced during this unprecedented time have benefitted all students and kept everyone thoroughly engaged.

On behalf of the 16th SAOT SC, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the SAOT council, SAOT SC advisors, lecturers, clinicians and student body for your contribution throughout this journey. Your continuous support has enabled our student committee to grow, adapt

1

and tide over the volatility of the past year.

It has truly been a privilege to be able to serve the OT student body over the past 2 years. As we officially handover to the next batch of leaders, I sincerely hope that everyone will continue to give them your utmost support.

Editor-in-Chief: Oh Sing Fang Head of Publicity 16th SAOT SC Assistant Editors: Merlin Lau Kai Ting, Foo Yu Xuan Renee Publicity Officers 16th SAOT SC

2

MESSAGE FROM SAOTSC PRESIDENT Sebastian Wong Ye Xun, President of 16th SAOT SC Dear fellow OT students, Change is the only constant. Never could I have imagined the types of challenges we would face when our batch took over as student committee, especially at a time when we were forced to adapt, make changes, and find new ways to engage the student body. Moving forward from the 15th SAOT SC, our team wanted to focus on collaborating with the other student bodies in the health and social science (HSS) cluster to hold mass events with the aim of increasing awareness of our allied health courses. However, due to the current situation, we can only hope for this collaboration to be held safely when the dust settles.

This year we have our first batch of graduating Occupational Therapy students from SIT. Congratulations to the Class of 2020! Although your transition to becoming an Occupational Therapist in the healthcare landscape came amidst a trying time, we wish you all the best for your Conditional Registration, and for you to be role models whom we can learn from.

The 16th SAOT SC had originally planned close to 18 events for the year.

Unfortunately, many had to be cancelled or rescheduled. This set our team up for a challenge – one which required us to come up with fresh ideas to hold events in such unique circumstances, safely and responsibly.

During the Circuit Breaker, one event that received numerous positive feedback was the language lessons carried out by our student volunteers. We want to thank every one of you who took the time and effort to prepare the lessons and notes, and conducting them perfectly on Zoom each week. We

3

really do hope that all participants have benefited from these lessons and that it would be applicable for use in future clinical placements. Learning never stops! Do continue to pick up more conversational sentences and improve yourselves as these skills will definitely be helpful in communicating with your clients in the future.

As our term comes to an end, my team and I really hope that you have enjoyed the events planned out as much as we did. It was a pleasure serving all of you and we thank you for all your continuous support and feedback.

Please continue giving your support to the upcoming 17th SAOT SC batch whom I am confident that they too, will fervently plan events that are fun, meaningful and will value-add to our student life as Occupational Therapy students.

I do believe that being thankful and giving thanks is the way to stay happy being in a course where fun and struggles coincide. May we continue to learn and encourage one another as we progress towards becoming Occupational Therapists with sound clinical judgement who also serves from the heart.

With this, I gladly pass the torch to the next elected batch of student committee.

Thank you.

Wong Ye Xun, Sebastian President 16th SAOT SC

4

MESSAGE FROM SAOT PRESIDENT

Jessica Hooi, President of Singapore Association of Occupational Therapy Dear Occupational Therapist and Occupational Therapy Students, In this unusual and unpredictable times that we are all in, I thought it would be appropriate to start this letter off with words of gratitude. To all, well done for adapting and responding to all the changes that have happened over the past months and most of all, tapping into each other’s support and strengths and rising up as a collective community.

Specifically, a big “Thank You!” to SIT academic team, for working so hard to ensure that education and learning continues, in the classrooms and out in the community for their clinical placements. As a clinical education coordinator at the organisation that I am in, I have seen how persistent and creative the academic team have been, in pushing for and securing clinical placement opportunities for all students.

The 16th SAOT SC has worked hard at pulling together activities and events for the student body over the past year. The learning journeys that the SC has organised, provided opportunities for students to get a glimpse of the day-to-day work of occupational therapists in various fields of practice. It is regretful that not all the events and activities could be carried out as planned due to the pandemic, however, the effort and time put in to plan for them are much appreciated. We hope that some of the events planned for the later part of year can continue as planned.

Next, a well-deserved pat on the shoulder to all students, for choosing occupational therapy as a profession and for staying focus and invested in your education and development as an occupational therapist. As our world continues to experiences significant amount of occupational disruption and

5

disengagement, occupational therapists are best positioned, with knowledge and skills, to understand, analyse and facilitate the process for our clients to re-invent and re-engage in meaningful occupations. My hope for all of you is that, with this knowledge, it gets you up on your feet, excited about the essential work that you and your fellow classmates will do in the near future.

Stay invested in your education, ask questions (lots of them) and continue to hone your skills because you will need it.

Over the past few months, SAOT have seen the power of collaboration and collective wisdom amongst occupational therapists across organisations and sectors as we navigated through the pandemic. As the social and health sectors continue to recognise the good work that occupational therapists are doing, I appeal to all of you to also share the work of occupational therapists on the social platforms that you are on.

To the incoming first years, well done for taking the first step on what will be an interesting, perspective changing journey! Welcome to the occupational therapy family and we look forward to meeting all of you.

To the upcoming fourth year students, congratulations for making this far!

You are now on your last lap of your academic journey. It will be exhausting at times (perhaps most of the time), so hang on to one another as you move forward for no one can do it alone. We will be rooting for you and we look forward to all of your joining us out in the work arena. Â Keep well and keep safe, Jessica Hooi President Singapore Association of Occupational Therapy (SAOT)

6

MESSAGE FROM ASSOC PROF BHING LEET Programme Director, SIT BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy Programme

Dear occupational therapists and occupational therapy students, This year has been extraordinary, both in terms of the challenges we have to deal with in light of COVID19, as well as the milestone in our SIT Occupational Therapy programme. I am proud to announce that we graduated our pioneer cohort of occupational therapy students in the middle of this year!  Many of them have started their career as conditional registered occupational therapists. Nicole Wong was SAOT SC’s President and Muhammad Izikeil Bin Ramli was the Vice-President during their days in SIT. As seen in the photograph, both of them are posted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Another occupational therapy graduate, Siah Heng Ni, is also currently working in a private setting. We are glad that the pipeline of locally trained occupational therapists has resumed. Let us wish them a very meaningful and fulfilling career!

Nicole Wong (left), Lim Jia Yi (middle) and Muhammad Izikeil (right), in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. All three are from the SIT pioneer occupational therapy cohort.

7

Siah Heng Ni (right) with her colleagues

Early this year, we were hit by the emergence of COVID19 and this disrupted our programme to a certain extent. The Year Three students had to delay their clinical practice education (CPE) and many classes were converted to online platforms. Written examinations were also conducted remotely.

Gradually, we have adapted to this new normal and blended learning will be here to stay. I hope every student will endeavour to maximise your learning albeit these uncertain times. We must also find ways to motivate and support one another, even though face-to-face bonding activities are cancelled.

The SAOT SC has initiated several activities during the trimester three break.

From learning dialects to CPE sharing and online learning journeys, these initiatives provide students with information that is not taught in the classrooms. You are encouraged to take part in them, as these activities will enrich your experience and may even help you during clinical placements.

Lastly, let us welcome our occupational therapy freshmen, who will commence their journey as occupational therapy students in September 2020. I hope that all four cohorts will be able to come together physically one day!

Best Regards, Assoc Prof Tan Bhing Leet

8

OUR COMMITTEE

President Wong Ye Xun, Sebastian

Treasurer Tan Si Li Samantha

Vice-President Ariel Lim

Head of Special Events Wong Yi Qian

Head of Community Outreach Kor Xin Yeh

Head of Publicity Oh Sing Fang

Head of Professional Development Cheh Yek Hong

9

OUR COMMITTEE

Community Outreach Officers Ivana Faith Ding Xing Yi Nur Adilah Bte Mohamed Khalem Fahira Nasha Binte Azman

Special Events Officers Yap Shun Hwa Soh Si Ting Jamie Tan Jie Min

Professional Development Officers Mohamed Nazirul Mubin Bin Rohani Chew Sher Yin Praise

10

Publicity Officers Foo Yu Xuan Renee Merlin Lau Kai Ting

COLLABORATIVE EVENTS

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OT) DAY Singapore Occupational Therapy Day is celebrated annually on 11 January to recognise the important roles played by Occupational Therapists in the local healthcare scene. To commemorate this day, OT Day was celebrated on 9 January 2020 in SIT. The theme for OT Day this year was Children's Health and Well-being and it was jointly organised by the 16th SAOT SC, SIT OT-Student Management Committee and SIT Health & Social Sciences Faculty.

SIT students and staff were welcome to enjoy the buffet and participate in activities and games which showcased what Occupational Therapists do.

They also had the opportunity to learn about prevalent conditions which affect children and experience the difficulties some of them may face in their daily lives.

11

Seeing from others' perspectives CHEW YU YING, YEAR 1

During Occupational Therapy (OT) Day, I managed to attempt all the stations, attend the talk, as well as enjoy the buffet. I really enjoyed the stations as it was so fun! I love the fact that I got to learn more from each station about different ways Occupational Therapist can engage their clients to help them successfully participate in their occupations. Not only that, the stations also gave me a glimpse (literally) of the potential difficulties that the clients usually go through. What I learnt from this station was not something that I could just read from any book or websites. It was the experience of trying to read the jumbled letters, making my own DIY sensory pack, and transversing on a wheelchair that really added value to the whole learning experience. At one station, I realised that there was much more to an interaction with the client, beyond what we typically see. The sensory stimulation and perspective that a client feel or experience is entirely different from an onlooker's perspective. This allowed me to learn that being able to put yourself in another's shoes is very important to understand the source of their difficulties and how to engage and maximise the help we provide them during therapy.

12

Meaningful Event VALERIE TWANG, YEAR 2

I enjoyed myself during Occupational Therapy (OT) Day as I was able to enjoy the different booths and the free buffet that was provided. The booths range from showing various conditions using virtual reality to making sensory bags.

The

event

even

had

photo

booths available for us to capture moments with our friends. Through participating in the booths, I was able to experience the difficulties faced by people with different conditions which enabled me to better understand and be more mindful of their needs and perspective. I also learnt about the different

means

introduced

by

Occupational Therapist to alleviate the problems or aid the clients. Personally, I feel that organising OT Day within our SIT campus is really meaningful as we can not only encourage intercohort interactions between the OT student community, but also bring attention to the existence of our profession to students

from

other

courses.

Furthermore, through setting up a range

of

booths

that

addresses

different conditions and aids, we are able to portray and represent OT in a more accurate manner. Overall, the OT day was really fun and I can't wait for what is in store next year!

13

COLLABORATIVE EVENTS

CIRCUIT BREAKER EVENTS Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Circuit Breaker period was imposed by the Singapore government between 21 April 2020 and 2 June 2020. In order to better support our OT student community who may be feeling anxious or stressed while staying at home during this period, the different departments of SAOT SC had come together to organise events to engage students during the month of May. Insta Challenges, basic sewing lessons, and Zumba were some activities that students could participate in through our Instagram stories and Zoom meetings.

14

COLLABORATIVE EVENTS

LANGUAGEÂ LESSONS

One of the events organised during the Circuit Breaker was the Language Lessons, where a total of 5 languages (Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, Hokkien and Cantonese) were taught. The hour-long lessons were conducted every Thursday and Sunday and through them, participants were able to both connect with other OT students through an online platform, as well as spend their time productively. Many participants also found these lessons really helpful for their Clinical Practice Education.

To view or download the lesson content, do head to our SAOT SC website to check it out.

15

Building foundation NG YAO ZONG JOSHUA, YEAR 1 PT

I am Joshua, a Year 1 PT student and I heard about the SAOT SC basic language lessons from my OT friend. I’ve always wanted to learn a bit of Bahasa Melayu and Cantonese in order to communicate with patients in the future and I thought this would be a good opportunity to start off! During both the Bahasa Melayu and Cantonese lessons, we were taught basic greetings and common rehabilitation terms. Our teachers were current OT students, which meant that the resources and lessons were catered towards our needs, which is difficult to find elsewhere. We had the opportunity to answer some of the practice questions that the teacher gave us, in order to apply what we had just learnt. I felt that these lessons were really helpful as not only were we able to hear the accurate pronunciation of different terms from the teachers, we were also taught how to structure sentences properly with various examples. Together with the questions and answer segments, we were able to clarify our doubts. Furthermore, the notes were really well prepared with English translations & pronunciations and also a few practice questions that we could do in our free time. I’m sure these notes will come in extremely handy in the future! We were also given additional resources such as YouTube channels and sites that we could visit if we wanted to learn more. Thank you SAOT SC and the language teachers for this opportunity to learn something new! I hope there will be more of such lessons in the future!

16

A learning opportunity JOSCELIN YU, YEAR 2

It was an enjoyable lesson where I got the opportunity to learn a beautiful language that requires a lot of effort in curling my tongue to pronounce the words. I find that the lesson materials were very relevant and useful for me and I managed to learn some basic phrases that can be used during therapy sessions. Prior to this, I thought it would be quite impressive to say ‘thohil sigichai’ (occupational therapy) to others. However, I understood that most tamil speaking people would use English for some terms like ‘occupational therapy’ and some would understand better in Tamil (eg: days of the week). Hence, this served as a great reminder for me to check on clients’ understanding before proceeding the session. Additionally, the structure of the lesson was done well as it started off with basic daily words before going through other common phrases that can be used in therapy sessions. I find that the game towards the end of the session was relatively effective in allowing me to gauge how much I have learnt from this short session. Overall, I am very thankful for SAOT SC and the volunteers for planning out the basic language lessons during this circuit breaker.

Continuous Learning MELISSA LOH, YEAR 1

During the circuit breaker period, I attended the basic Chinese lesson held by SAOT SC. During the lesson, we were taught appropriate ways on how to give proper instructions in Mandarin in therapeutic settings, like "We are going to transfer to the wheelchair/commode.." prior to attempting to transfer with patient or "Please bend forward and stretch out like this." used during assessment of patients.

Despite being a Chinese, I have not used this language at work since 2005. As a result, I was not familiar with the language and I even struggled during the lesson as I constantly had to try to remember the correct intonations when pronouncing the words as well as to take down the notes in Hanyu Pinyin. However, having these lessons in Mandarin made me realise that we are in a field that requires continuous learning. As a result, I should continue to refresh and practice the terms taught with my friend and future patients in therapeutic settings. Finally, I would like to thank SAOT SC, Heng Ni and Praise for organising this!

17

Learning and connecting JUSTIN HENG, YEAR 1

During the Basic Malay lessons, a year 2 OT senior engaged a group of 40-50 students weekly, for an hour each session. Due to the circuit breaker measures, these sessions were carried out through Zoom. The lesson content ranged from basic greetings to sentences that we would potentially say when interacting with clients in the near future. Personally, I really enjoyed attending the lesson because of the structure of the lesson materials. The lesson materials provided had blanks that we could fill in easily while listening attentively to the lesson. This is unique and interesting, as compared to jotting down personal notes which can be more taxing.

In addition, I appreciate how I was able to connect and meet like-minded individuals who have a keen interest in picking up the basics of a new language so as to minimise communication barriers with clients and patients. Through this event, I have not only learnt the basics of other languages, I can also better appreciate the beauty of another language because speaking English will not always allow us to express our ideas clearly. Furthermore, I would like to think that patients would feel more comfortable if we could speak in their mother tongue. Building rapport with patients can help us earn their trust and ultimately help them make progression in their recovery. Finally, I would like to thank SAOT SC for giving this opportunity to allow our peers to teach and learn from one another to learn meaningful and useful languages that we could apply when we are out in the workforce.

18

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

BISHAN HOME 2019 Each year, SAOT SC would organise a community outreach programme at Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled, where OT students will have the opportunity to volunteer and give back to the community. This event is usually held in December in the hope of spreading Christmas' festive spirit to the residents.

This year, our student volunteers had the opportunity to carol and design their very own snow globes amongst other crafts. Both the residents and volunteers had a joyful morning celebrating Christmas and interacting with one another.

19

Being mindful of clients and situations NEO LING LI, YEAR 2

In this jolly season, I had the opportunity to spend time and make handicrafts with the residents of Bishan Home. Even after knowing and learning about intellectual disability for quite some time, it was only my first time interacting with people with intellectual disability. Honestly, I was a little uncertain, yet excited. To my surprise, my resident was extremely cheerful and cooperative. As we were making the paper snow globe, I was slightly at a lost when she was drawing randomly instead of trying to draw a nice snowman. Even after several verbal prompts, her end product resembled more of a bunch of random squiggles. I realised that in planning for such activities, we have to also learn to manage the expectations and realities of such sessions. I have also learned to be very mindful of safety precautions in such craft activities, like keeping scissors and glue out of reach from clients with

intellectual disability. Due to their condition, this group of residents are quite compliant and easily led. I am made more aware that this actually makes them extremely vulnerable to social victimisation, such as fraud and sexual traumas. This is something I will want to pay special attention to as an OT in future. While my experience here seemed to be pretty manageable, I am also aware that this group of residents

are

on

the

higher

functioning level. Thus, there are still plenty of behavioural strategies that I can

learn

purposefully

to

interact

with

more

intellectually

disabled clients on a lower functioning level. It has been a meaningful time and I really believe that we should be proactive and take the time now to increase

our

interaction

with

the

diverse populations we will be working with in future! Ho Ho Ho!

20

Application of knowledge QIU NA XUAN, YEAR 2

At Bishan Home, we did snow globe crafting with the residents which

included

colouring,

designing, and pasting. This was done by the client with some assistance by students to cut and tape the items. I was especially satisfied when I saw my resident smiling and holding tightly onto the completed crafts. During the event, we also had a karaoke session where we sang along together to familiar festive tunes. This was really fun as we got to engage more with the residents. Volunteering at Bishan Home was also a fruitful experience as I got to apply what I have learnt previously to the activities. Although the activities were planned and designed by the organising team, the volunteers, including myself, had to grade the level of assistance as well as the difficulty of the task accordingly to enable learning and application by client. I also had to be observant and adaptive based on the client, the environment as well as the context so as to provide a client-centred therapeutic session. The opportunity to put my theories into action has allowed me to realise how much I still have to learn and grow to become a better occupational therapist.

21

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CLINICAL PRACTICE EDUCATION SHARING The Clinical Practice Education (CPE) Sharing was organised and

conducted

Professional

by

the

Development

department over Zoom during the circuit breaker period. Four Year about

4

OT

students

their

shared

experiences

working in the Neurology, Paediatrics, Geriatrics and Mental Health settings with their juniors and there was an overwhelming attendance of over 160 students! Through this sharing, many students were able to manage their expectations and better prepare themselves for their upcoming CPE.

Better perception RINNA OW YONG, YEAR 1

Thank you for the CPE sharing on 19th May 2020. It was a pleasure to have the seniors to share about their experiences on their CPE. It was a fruitful session and I was able to gain a better insight on what CPE is about. Although it was a pity that the CPE in the year 1 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 circuit breaker, the sharing was informative and beneficial for me due to a few reasons. Firstly, this experiential sharing helped to increase my preparedness for CPE by ensuring that I have the right attitude and mindset before attending the CPE. The seniors were also dedicated in creating their powerpoint slides and also included a list of “things to prepare” section where we are able to look into the model and theories that we weren’t sure. Finally, we were able to get different perspectives and it was interesting to note the differences between different CPE placement in different institutions. The sharing was insightful and I have gained so much from the sharing.

Not only that, the sharing was motivating and realistic in my opinion. Thumbs up!

22

Better prepared JESSICA LEY, YEAR 2

During the event, each senior shared their experiences being attached to different sectors, from paediatrics to geriatrics. What I found memorable from the session was when they shared their personal tips and tricks, like maximising travel time for after-hours work to ensure more time for rest at night. This gave me an insight on how time management is important to ensure that work is done efficiently without compromising time for rest. When the seniors shared their personal stories, it allowed me to have a realistic, non-sugar coated view of what I would be experiencing during CPE, such as not being confident in certain transfers or being more flexible with the use of different tools provided in the centre. My main takeaway from the event is the importance of de-stressing and asking for assistance when needed. The sharing gave me a real world view of how I might feel uncomfortable and doubtful of my own skills during placements. However, the seniors assured us that it is okay to ask for help and sound out our concerns, emphasising the importance of the learning process. They also stressed the importance of relaxing during the weekends and not bringing the work stress home. After this event, I was better able to understand how CPE will go. I could manage my expectations, and work on the skill and knowledge I still lack. When the seniors explained the assessments and frames of references used, and how it can help during my placement, it allowed me to have a better understanding on how to integrate the information that we had learnt in school and apply it to a real life context. Overall, the sharing has helped me to better prepare myself for what is to come.

23

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LEARNING JOURNEY 2020

Following the success of previously-held learning journeys, SAOT SC's Professional Development department had once again organised a few learning journeys to enable students to explore the role of Occupational Therapists in the Paediatrics, Geriatrics and Mental Health setting. We were honoured to have been able to invite speakers from SPD, Institute of Mental Health (IMH), NTUC Health Chai Chee, Rainbow Centre and St Andrew's Autism Centre (SAAC) to share their vision and experience working in their respective setting. The learning journeys garnered a significant attendance and many students were able to gain insights about the work scope of an OT in various settings.

24

Greater exposure MADHUBALA DEIVAKUMAR, YEAR 1

The SPD learning journey was a great learning experience. As a year 1 student, I had a lot of questions and did not have a great understanding of what an OT does as part of SPD. This presentation gave me all the information i needed to have a clear idea of what to expect. The panel members included both people from higher positions and newer members of the organisation. This gave me a holistic view of the organisation from multiple points of view and it also allowed me to interact with students who have just recently graduated. This served me very well as they could relate to my concerns and questions as a student. The presentation also gave me a lot of useful information on the services that SPD offers and the different age groups they cater to. It was really an eye opening experience to get an in-depth view into the different services offered and the numerous settings that their therapists work in. It helped me better understand on the things to expect if I chose to work with them in the future. I believe that this event has been a great learning experience for all and will help us, students, to make more informed decisions about our career in the field of occupational therapy in Singapore.

25

Collaboration with other healthcare professionals ASHLEY GWYNETH TAN, YEAR 2

The learning journey organized by SAOT SC was an amazing opportunity to find out more about the various services and programs offered at the Institute of Mental Health. We also had the opportunity to take a sneak peek into the beautiful gardens and the thrift shop in the occupational therapy department at IMH. We were honoured to be able to learn more about the services and programs from Ms Cai Mingxiu. For example, the Institute of Mental Health provides services for a wide range of ages, from children to elderly, both as inpatient services and in the community. I was particularly intrigued by the concept of having the same occupational therapist follow their client’s journey from inpatient to outpatient care. It was also inspiring to learn about how the occupational therapists collaborated with the nurses to increase clients’ engagement in activities from selfcare to leisure as well as how the occupational therapists in the occupational therapy

department

collaborated

with

social

workers

to

run

vocational

rehabilitation programs, All in all the learning journey at Institute of Mental Health allowed us to learn more about not just the history of the hospital, but also the myriad of services provided by the team of dedicated occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals at the hospital.

26

Application to future practices CHERIE CHIA, YEAR 2

The online learning journey to Rainbow Center was an engaging and informative session. Even though this year’s learning journey was held online, the speakers engaged us through various means, such as using Menti which allowed us to share our thoughts with the speakers and participants. The use of pictures and videos helped us to understand the environment of Rainbow Centre as well as the various examples of therapy sessions conducted for different age groups of clients. The speakers were very open to sharing with us not only about their different centres’ services and environment, but also the various programs that they run, their OT experiences as well as the various assistive devices that were used to help enhance occupational performance of their children. In addition, I learnt that although some of the speakers are OT-trained, they are working in managerial roles and applies the OT knowledge into the work they do.

The sharing of the various programs that are catered to the different age-groups by the OT has taught me that children’s occupational focus changes as they grow up and that these occupations can be used as means and as ends. In addition, the use of technology can help increase occupational engagement in children, for example, using eye tracking to play games. The various therapy examples and explanations given by the OTs has helped me to understand the clinical reasoning behind each therapeutic activity. I am grateful to be able to attend this sharing session and will apply what I have learnt in my future practices.

27

A multidisciplinary approach AMELIA HO, YEAR 2

St Andrew’s Autism Centre (SAAC) serves clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through their entire lifespan. The presenter highlighted the importance of understanding the impact of change on occupations as one ages in life. This occurs on both a micro and macro level. An occupational therapist working at SAAC must be able to identify and adapt their practices in line with an individual’s change in interests and psychosocial context. At an institutional level, facilities and services for clients who are on the spectrum and transiting into young adulthood are limited, and SAAC has attempted to fill in the gaps via services such as the St Andrew’s Adult home. It was heartening to see that SAAC could remain a constant presence for clients as they learn to adapt through the stages of their lives.

Additionally, the presenter shared about his experiences as an OT at SAAC. The centre practices a multidisciplinary team approach. Communication with other professionals allow OTs to advocate for their client’s needs. It could be as simple as advice to teachers on how to make adjustments in the client’s classroom environment or even extending to leadership roles where OTs act as case managers. The presenter was honest with the challenges and limitations posed by administration and bureaucracy, as well as how his managerial role allows him to push for policy changes. Overall, the sharing gave me a comprehensive and realistic overview of what it is like to work at SAAC. As the presenter said, if you ever feel like giving up, remember what is it that we can do to provide the best quality of life for our clients.

28

Providing deeper knowledge LORETTA AEMELIA CHAN, YEAR 1

The learning journey was very insightful and it provided me with an idea of how working in an Nursing Home would look like as an OT. Having just completed year 1 and not being able to attend our CPE-1 due to COVID-19, this presented me with some deeper knowledge about what an OT's job entails. Personally, I am very interested in geriatrics. Hence, this experience was very apt for me as I was able to learn more about what an OT session with elderly people in a nursing home would look like. The tour also was a good representation of the environment of the nursing home despite us not being able to be physically present for the learning journey. As mentioned earlier, not being able to attend CPE-1 also made it difficult for me to picture what it's like working. Having this virtual tour, I was able to visualise myself working in that environment and doing what the OT demonstrated for us. In addition, the Question and Answer session was also very informative and the presenters helped clarify any doubts we had. Overall, this was a very enriching experience that could help me make a more informed decision on what specific field in OT I would like to enter upon graduation.

29

SPECIAL EVENTS

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 2019

The Public Health Service (PHS) is an annual project initiated by students from National University of Singapore (NUS). The Special Events department had partnered up with students from NUS to organise this project which constitutes 3 main components - health promotion, health screening and follow-up. The Geriatrics Occupational Therapy booth was set up to provide advice to seniors on matters pertaining to independent living, home safety, and environmental modifications to minimise fall-risk. Many OT students and clinicians volunteered at this event, with students helping to administer assessments and conduct falls history interview while clinicians provided valuable advice to the visiting seniors at the booth and decided whether further referrals were necessary. Through the provision of such services, we hope that the elderly would be able to improve their quality of life and personal well-being.

30

Greater insight CLARA, YEAR 1

During the event, everyone was paired up and we had to ask the elderly questions related to fall risks in their home and community environment. If we felt that they had a high fall risk, we would refer them to the occupational therapists who were on standby.

Also, if we felt that they needed more grab bars or anti-slip flooring, we would also recommend them to vendors that can help them install these structures. The event was memorable for me because I found out more about what an occupational therapist does and even had the opportunity to sit in on a consultation session and see how the occupational therapist interacted with the client.

I learnt that there are actually many fall risks in the community and that more can be done to minimise these risks both in the community and home environment.

Appreciation for others TESSA CHAN, YEAR 2

We were taught how to perform HOMEFAST for the residents who came down to the event. HOMEFAST is an assessment tool used to assess the home environment and find out if there are any safety hazards at home. It was a fulfilling experience to be able to have a chat with the residents in the area and learn more about them. Some were eager to have a chat with the younger generation and enjoyed sharing their stories while filling out the HOMEFAST. The warmth and smiles that we received from the residents made the day’s hardwork felt worth it. Many also expressed their gratitude for offering our help, and encouraged us to persevere through our studies so that we can graduate and help more people. Through this experience, I gained a greater appreciation of the variety of different living habits and how Occupational Therapy can help improve the quality of life for many.

31

SPECIAL EVENTS

HEALTHCARE OUTREACH PROJECT Healthcare Outreach Project (HOP) is a project run by NUS and SIT students from

Medicine,

Nursing,

Pharmacy,

Occupational

Therapy

and

Physiotherapy to allow tertiary students to learn more about the healthcare industry. Our OT student volunteers took on roles such as orientation group leaders, game masters and student speakers to introduce the

students

to

different

healthcare

professions

information related to Occupational Therapy.

32

and

share

more

Opportunity to Learn TIYA, YEAR 2

I was a game master for one of the stations during HOP. I helped to conduct a game where participants had to go through several tasks while facing certain physical barriers such as limited vision. Through these games, I learned how to assist people in understanding the different types of illnesses that were organised. Participants were able to understand how people with limitations would have trouble with their everyday occupations such as searching for specific coins in a purse with limited vision. They also understood how Occupational Therapy will help people regain their independence despite the limitations that they have. In my opinion, Occupational Therapy is a meaningful job that allows us to be there for people when they are at their lowest point in life. We are there to help them regain independence, instil hope and confidence in themselves when they might not believe in themselves at that moment of time. I hope more people would come into this course to help our clients in the future.

33

Gaining awareness YING YAN, YEAR 1

For Healthcare Outreach Programme (HOP), I helmed the role of a game master which includes officiating the various

games

participants'

and

safety.

participants

gain

ensuring

the

Seeing

the

awareness

about

Occupational Therapy as a healthcare profession and their interest in joining OT/SIT encouraged and spurred me on as a OT-in-training. It was heartwarming to

see

participants

backgrounds

from

coming

different together,

collaborating and enjoying themselves in the games we had in store for them. Our OT games incorporated daily difficulties experienced by patients with different conditions,

such

as

patients

with

Cataract struggling to read labels or count money. These in turn helped participants gain a better understanding of

how

an

OT

can

prescribe

interventions both through occupations as means and as end. Through HOP, I learned

the

skills

of

effective

dissemination of instructions so as to ensure smooth flow of games and I also got to know fellow friends from other OT cohorts. Overall, I felt my time in HOP was well-spent abide during my holidays and I have truly enjoyed myself!

34

Website: saotsc.wixsite.com/site Instagram: @saotsc Facebook: SAOT Student Council Published by SAOT Student Council All Rights Reserved.