Hospital Patients Helped By Occupational Therapy

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27769, 21 September 1955, Page 2

Hospital Patients Helped By Occupational Therapy

“We have to get the public away from the idea of thinking occupational therapists are girls who teach people tc make pink rabbits and such like. In the Occupational Therapy Training School students have to study anatomy, physiology, medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, psychiatry, and psychology We prefer students to have university entrance certificates before making application to become students. They must at least have their school certificate.” said Miss Frances Rutherford, vice-principal of the Occupational Therapy Training School, Auckland, and Assistant Supervisor of Occupational Training for New Zealand, in an interview with “The Press.” Miss Rutherford, who arrived in Christchurch from Dunedin yesterday, is a daughter of Mr and Mrs C. W. Rutherford, who lived in Nelson and South Canterbury before they moved to the Wairarapa, where they now live. Miss Rutherford was appointed to her present position eight months ago, shortly after her return from England, where she trained for five years at the Liverpool School of Occupational Therapy. She was a lecturer on the staff of the school there also.

The training centre of occupational therapy in New Zealand was at Point Chevalier in Auckland, said Miss Rutherford, It had an intake of 24 students a year. They entered twice a year. 12 at a time. The training course extended • over three years. During the last six months of their training they did field work in hospitals throughout the Dominion. It is to see the work of trained staff and students at the various centres that Miss Rutherford has been touring New Zealand for the last two weeks and a half. Today she will visit the Christchurch Hospital and lhe Burwood Hospital, and then, after visiting Hanmer Springs, she will return to Auckland. Attractive Conditions

Conditions and remuneration for occupational therapists were good, and many students obtained good bursaries. said Miss Rutherford. The

training centre had recently been enlarged. Preliminary examinations at the school had been made at the end of 12 months’ training, but it was hoped to have the time extended to 18 months for this examination. At the end of three years Students sat for their oral and practical examinations for State registration. “We feel that occupational therapy is not a job; it is a wonderful vocation, especially in the field of industrial occupational therapy,” said Miss Rutherford. In Birmingham Accident Centre, in England, great strides had been made in teaching patients to rehabilitate themselves. Excellent team work made it possible to fit the machine to the patient’s injury. In this way, as well as making the rehabilitation of the patient easier, some of the problems of compensation were solved. Miss Rutherford said the occupational therapist did not encroach on the work of the physiotherapist Exercises in occupational work must have a real purpose. In clay modelling, for instance, the kicking of the wheel exercised the knee joints. In mental hospitals, craft work, drama, music, entertainment, and various types of games played a big part in helping to fit the patient for taking his place in society again, she said. Rehabilitation work should start from the time the patient entered hospital, and not from the moment he was ready to leave, said Miss Rutherford. Often the patient had to be retrained for another type of job. The aim and scope of occupational therapy was-almost unlimited. There was a wonderful opportunity for the development of "physical occupational therapy, she said. Wonderful work had been done in mental hospitals, the Institute for the Blind, cerebral palsy schools, and tuberculosis hospitals. She had been particularly impressed by the work done by the occupational therapy staff at Seacliff Mental Hospital, said Miss Rutherford.