Darren Awang

Broadening the Vision: The Education and Training Needs of Occupational Therapists Working with People with Sight Loss

This study aimed to identify the continuing professional development needs of occupational therapists in the area of sight loss and to identify the ways in which these needs could be met through pre-registration and post-registration education. A two-stage survey was carried out: an online survey was used to explore the education experience of occupational therapists who were members of two of the College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Sections – Older People and Housing, and a telephone survey was used to gather information from higher education institutions involved in the pre-registration education of occupational therapists regarding the current content of the curriculum relating to sight loss. The results of the study revealed low confidence levels among therapists in assessing and giving advice to people with sight loss, along with a varied approach to the inclusion of sight loss in pre-registration occupational therapy curricula. A need for the development of appropriate education and training for working with people with sight loss was identified for occupational therapists at both pre-registration and post-registration stages, in order to enable the profession to seize the opportunity for prioritising this area of emerging practice and to make a more significant contribution to improving outcomes for people with sight loss.

Developing a Housing Adaptation Genome Project

Evidence about the effectiveness of housing adaptations is unsystematic, leaving large gaps in knowledge. The evidence that exists is not sufficiently compelling to attract substantial investment, and its weakness impedes evidence-based practice. In order to fill the gaps, a more systematic approach to adaptation research is needed. A housing adaptation genome project is proposed to address this problem by mapping, planning and coordinating future research. This opinion piece sets out the rationale and potential value of developing a housing adaptation genome project. It invites all stakeholders to become involved and to help to shape a more powerful approach to housing adaptation research.

Creative approaches to service design: Using co-creation to develop a consumer focused assistive technology service

BACKGROUND: The United Kingdom is challenged in terms of how it provides services for the growing number of older people and the associated rise of those living with long term health conditions into old age. Demographic and technological changes present a real opportunity for the assisted living technology industry to develop new innovations to connect and enable dispersed families to provide support to their loved ones within a consumer marketplace. OBJECTIVE:Under the dallas i-Focus programme, the Advanced Digital Institute, with partner Coventry University, developed the Warm Neighbourhoods R AroundMe TM service to help people live at home and enable friends and family to support them using existing connected home sensor technologies to detect usual daily routines. METHOD: A new, consumer-focussed assistive technology service was designed through co-creation. The service was piloted over 3 months within 12 personal “neighbourhoods” using a Living Lab methodology. RESULTS: Results were overwhelmingly positive. Participants easily saw the AroundMe TM service as a consumer offering. Participants found the service reassuring and unobtrusive whilst promoting independence of the main user and providing support for carers. CONCLUSIONS: It became apparent that a unique selling point of the new service was that it was distinguishable from other existing message and emergency response type services to focus on wellbeing and “I’m okay” information as opposed to “I need help”. Within a consumer market it seems that people are willing to pay for peace of mind and reassurance. Success of the pilot service was due to the application of established service design principles to make the service effective and desirable and testing within a Living Lab to develop a simple service that fits technology into the daily lives of families.

An Evaluation of an Integrated Occupational Therapy Student Conference

Within the arts, final year graduate degree shows are a common method of displaying and publicising student work and attracting future employers. Despite a myriad of potential benefits, this tradition appears to be much less developed within the education of undergraduate health and social care professions. This paper presents a rationale for the development of a student conference, outlines the process and provides key areas for consideration resulting from an evaluation of the 2005 occupational therapy student conference, ‘Evidence Inspires!’