Julia Krikman SROT, Senior Occupational Therapist, Mackeith Centre, Brighton and Joanna Chin SROT, Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London

Encephalitis can affect both adults and children.  It may result in problems that can have an impact on all daily life activities, be these home, school, work,  or leisure activities.  It is in these circumstances that it my be useful to have advice from an Occupational Therapist.

An Occupational Therapist helps the person affected by encephalitis to identify roles and activities that they feel are important in their everyday lives, and that have become less easy to manage as a result of their illness.  The Occupational Therapist will assess  the person’s ability  to perform the activities, and  ideas for helping will  be developed. This will be done in conjunction with the affected person, as well as with carers and other multi-disciplinary team members as appropriate.

Ideas to help may include the following:

• helping the person to learn or re-learn how to carry out daily tasks, such as getting dressed, preparing meals, or getting around in the community.
• helping people to re-plan and re-organise their daily routines
• providing strategies such as check-lists for carrying our familiar tasks, or suggesting alternatives
• providing opportunities to practice learnt or relearned skills
• adapting the environment to overcome cognitive difficulties, or advising on specific equipment that may reduce the impact of physical difficulties.
• liaising with other organisations for support and advice

The Occupational Therapist may be involved at many stages of the person’s illness, from acute management in the hospital environment, to community integration.  The Occupational Therapist may also visit the persons home, school, or work place to help overcome any problems there.  The Occupational Therapist will cease to be involved when the person feels that they are able to manage their daily activities in a more satisfactory way, or when the therapist identifies alternative intervention that may be more appropriate for that person at that time.

Occupational Therapists work in many different environments, including in-patient and out-patient hospital services, rehabilitation units, community therapy teams, social services departments, and sometimes in private practice.  Referrals to Hospital Occupational Therapists or to Rehabilitation Units are made by consultants physicians. Referrals to community services are made by GP’s or school doctors.  The College of Occupational Therapists has a Private Practice Register for Occupational Therapists offering assessment and treatment on a private basis to people with encephalitis.