BASED on the elderly care wards at Salisbury District Hospital, Jess Jelfs is an occupational therapist (OT) who assesses the independence of patients and their need for any equipment.

“It’s all to do with daily living,” she says. “I assess the functional abilities of patients - whether they are able to wash and dress, make food or a hot drink, for example.

“If patients do need a bit of support then we will discharge them with a package of care.

“I also make assessments on the need for equipment which depends on a patient’s mobility and is about promoting independence.

“It can be anything from a raised toilet seat which helps them to get on and off the toilet independently, if they don’t have care help at home, to a kitchen trolley enabling them to walk and carry a hot meal or drink, without a walking frame.

“We put in hospital beds or air mattresses for more dependent patients.

“There are all sorts of different equipment we can use - it depends what is the most suitable for the individual.

“We work really closely with the physiotherapists and push patients as much as we can to get them back to their baseline.”

With new patients, OTs will build up a picture of their lives from the patient themselves or from family and friends, if the patient is unable to talk.

“We get a social history, a bit of background,” Jess explains. “The layout of their home is important to understand, for example. If someone comes in with no carer, and they have steps at home either to get into their house or internal stairs, we have to think about how to get them back home.”

Jess who grew up in Salisbury studied a BTEC in sport, psychology and massage before gaining work experience at SDH.

“Initially I wanted to be a physiotherapist,” she said. “I did some work experience at Southampton Football Club and knew straight away that actually wasn’t the type of care I wanted to do.

“My mum was a nurse at the hospital and she said that what I was talking about sounded like occupational therapy - I did a lot of research and knew that exactly what I wanted to do.

“I set up one week’s work experience at the hospital shadowing OT’s in all different areas.

“I then went to Bournemouth University to do a three-year degree in OT - the course at Bournemouth was very holistic, looking at the whole picture rather than a concentrated focus on anatomy and physiology which is the case at some universities.

“Before going I retook my GCSE Science - the course requires Maths, English and Science.

“Once I had graduated, I worked as an activities coordinator in a nursing home to get some more work experience and then a job came up at the hospital.

“No two days are ever the same. With the elderly, I love hearing all their stories. You get to talk to the patients and find out about home, their lives – It’s really rewarding, the job satisfaction is amazing.

“To be an OT, you need to be a problem solver, be very flexible with ideas and be patient.”