Berkhamsted Occupational Therapy

11/06/2025

Attended a really useful CPD session today with Ottobock who make a number of specialist shoulder , arm and ankle orthotics. This is the Omo Neurexa Plus which can be used for shoulder subluxations. It has support for the forearm and can improve trunk alignment and improve levels of participation in ADLs.

04/06/2025

Thought it would be helpful to tell you a bit more about me. My primary focus for the last 18 years has been looking after my two amazing kids, but as one is about to head off to Uni, it has me thinking about the other aspects of life which are important to me and bring me joy. I had these beautiful photos taken by the very talented on a glorious sunny morning a few weeks ago - highly recommend as I’m not a natural in front of the camera and she put me at ease.

03/06/2025

Love it when you can put your training straight into practice. Just helping a new client to convert their current bathroom into a wet room that will future proof their retirement bungalow and enable my client with Parkinson’s and dementia to manage all his personal care needs in a space that can work for him, his wife and carers.

If you want to know any more please email me: Susiekiddleot@outlook.com

10/04/2025

Parkinson’s awareness week 10th-16th April

I thought this image was very accurate to summarise some of the many symptoms of Parkinson’s.
My Dad had Parkinson’s- he got frustrated by the slowing of movements and stiffening muscles, but the emotional and cognitive changes, fatigue and restless legs were daily issues that impacted on his ability to do all the things he loved.
As an Occupational Therapist I can help people with Parkinson’s to maintain their independence. I can help with the physical symptoms such as hand strength and coordination, but also provide strategies to help manage fatigue, work on your cognitive skills, reduce anxiety and so much more.
If you or a family member/ friend have Parkinson’s and want to find out more please get in contact and together we can make a change.

13/02/2025

Great networking event organised by this evening. Met with local care providers sharing our passion for working with people with Dementia and neurological conditions, spoke to the wonderful about adapted underwear for people with reduced dexterity or arm movements, found out about the importance of breathing to help manage our fears when public speaking with the very knowledgeable Sally Hindmarch from and met the fabulous photographer Sally Bowes from teacup pictures. Looking forward to working with them all in the future and supporting local businesses.

31/01/2025

I’ve been working with an amazing client for the past seven months. When I first met him he’d recently sustained a brain injury and was struggling to manage even getting out of bed due to his anxiety and fatigue. We set clear goals, had weekly sessions and he was set homework! He was incredibly motivated and has made such amazing progress. Here’s what he had to say about our time together…….

20/01/2025

Loving the new adaptive clothing collection from Primark. Great to see design which promotes independence and really thinks about individual needs. Which High Street store will be next?

08/11/2024

OT week 2024
Another wonderful day promoting all things OT at The Chilterns Neuro Centre to celebrate OT week. The centre was a hive of activity so Wendy and I got to meet and help a large number of people.

Today we talked all things Parkinson’s and have arranged a functional hand group to help people manage their buttons and zippers, hold pens, and increase hand writing size so they can write Christmas cards and birthday cards for family members.

We also demonstrated a number of kitchen hacks. So many people struggle to lift pans of hot water to strain vegetables. Try putting a chip basket/ metal colander in the saucepan, then when you need to strain the vegetables, you simply lift the colander! Pan pickles can be used on hobs to help keep a pan in place while you stir (the bright yellow things in the photos! ).

One member and his daughter put our car lever to the test and were so impressed with how it made getting in and out of the car so much easier and safer.

Finally we were able to give advice for mobility scooters that fold up so small they can be easily transported and perfect to take away on holiday and use on a cruise ship which one of our members was looking for.

The world of Occupational Therapy is so varied and it was wonderful to see so many people finding solutions to their problems and realising just small changes can have a big impact.

If you want to know any more information about OT or would like to book a session to discuss any issues, please message me or check out my website : www.berkhamstedot.com

07/11/2024

OT week
I love the way Rhiannon Crispe describes Occupational Therapy. It helps to summarise what we do and why. As OT’s we look at the activity or occupation that someone wants to be able to do and then problem solve what we need to work on to enable them to achieve that goal. It’s such a varied job and really can be life changing.

07/11/2024

We had a great session on Tuesday meeting with a number of people. We were able to provide and recommend small gadgets to help with daily tasks such as cooking and holding cutlery, we gave advice and information for Parkinson’s specific hand and arm exercises, assessed for a hand splint and helped one member explore their potential to return to their local gym. We promoted our role and raised our profile and will be back to do it all again tomorrow. Look forward to seeing you there!

Have you seen our OT table in the atrium?

Wendy and Suzie have done a fabulous job highlighting some of the tools and techniques that can be used to make life a little bit easier.

Don't forget they have another drop-in session tomorrow (Friday 8 November), 11am-2pm, so do come and say hello!

21/10/2024

Open Door Accessibility
I’ve been working with Open Door Berkhamsted which is a great community cafe and arts space on Berkhamsted High Street open to anyone in the local area. They also run The Studio for pottery and creative arts which is located on Park Street. I was asked to help look at the accessibility into the pottery studio as there was a large step down into the space and this impacted significantly on those who could access the space. They wanted to make sure that everyone could access this space so I recommended a set of lightweight and portable ramps that can easily be set up when needed.
Today I met with Amanda Cooper and Sue Davis (retired OT) to set up the new ramps and they work a treat! So pleased that this space is now accessible to the local community for you all to enjoy.
Have a look at their website for future pottery and craft sessions and help support this amazing community project

www.opendoorberkhamsted.co.uk

27/09/2024

World FTD awareness week 2024
This week has been about raising awareness about this rare form of dementia. At the start of the year I had the pleasure of meeting a young client and her family. She was diagnosed with FTD a couple of years ago and about to move into her own home with a live in package of support. As an Occupational therapist I was able to provide bespoke training for all the support staff so they had an understanding of how the dementia is affecting her ability to manage everyday activities. We explored ways to assist with communication, and the importance of routine. This dementia varies from Alzheimer’s in that if affects an individuals behaviour and language first rather than their memory. It is also a dementia which occurs earlier in life with many people being aged 45-65yrs, though it affects some people much earlier than this. As my clients condition progresses I will continue to provide specialist training to meet the needs of my client, her family and her support workers and ensure that we provide the best possible care and support she needs to enable her to keep engaging in all the activities she enjoys.