Select Healthcare homes provide a range of services to help support vulnerable adults to live full, enjoyable lives. Many of these services rely on varied types of therapists who provide therapeutic interventions that enhance the quality of life for many people living in residential care. At Select Healthcare homes, therapists consider the kinds of equipment or environmental changes that can be implemented to help residents live full and meaningful lives in our care homes.

To ensure we provide the different types of therapy that residents in our care homes need, Select Healthcare hire Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech Language Therapists who make up important parts of multidisciplinary teams. 

Are you a qualified therapist who’s thought about working in a care home but has no idea where to start? To help you to decide if a therapy job in a care home is for you, we’ve demystified the roles that the different types of therapists play in Select Healthcare homes across the UK.

 

What do Physiotherapists do in Care Homes?

Physiotherapy in care homes focuses on helping people with varying needs and disabilities to maintain, improve or regain mobility. At Select Healthcare,

care home physiotherapists work alongside nurses, care assistants and other professionals in the multidisciplinary team to create person-centred care plans for residents. The goals of these care plans will vary according to the individual and the type of care home you work in, much like the areas of focus for physiotherapy will differ depending on the care home. 

For example, physiotherapy in nursing homes may focus on fall prevention and  exercises to help build mobility and strength, improve daily function and maintain independence. Whereas palliative physiotherapy may focus more on reducing pain and fatigue and improving the quality of life of those with life-limiting illnesses while maintaining dignity. 

In Select Healthcare homes, physiotherapists work in the following areas of care:

• Brain Injury Rehab
• Mental health care 
• Physical disability care
• Palliative care 
• Nursing care
• Dementia care
• EMI care

What do Occupational Therapists do in Care Homes?

Occupational therapy in residential care is helpful for individuals who may find day-to-day activities difficult. In Select Healthcare homes, occupational therapists make up a part of the multidisciplinary team that also support care staff within the home as well as the residents. They often support care staff to create risk assessments and provide professional advice on environmental changes within the care home that will improve a resident's independence. 

Occupational therapy jobs can be found in different areas of health and social care and the role may have some variations according to the needs of the residents. 

For example, in some of our care homes, occupational therapy for autism can involve improving social skills, communication and sensory processing issues. Occupational therapists for autism may help to support care staff to set goals around understanding boundaries and personal space or to create ways to encourage participation and interaction. Occupational therapists for mental health can help to promote meaningful activities that support individuals to achieve goals like going to work, college or accessing activities in the community. Occupational therapists for dementia help support staff in our care homes to identify strategies that help with orientation and memory loss as well as sourcing equipment that helps individuals stay in control of their independence for as long as possible.

Occupational therapists can be found in the following types of Select Healthcare homes:

• Mental health care
• Learning disability care
• Palliative care
• Dementia care
• Nursing care

What is the Role of the Speech And Language Therapist in a Care Home?

From stroke speech therapy to speech therapy for autism, speech and language therapists support a varied group of people with a variety of needs. Becoming a speech-language therapist in a care home means you may deal with people who have difficulty speaking or swallowing (dysphagia). Cases of dysphasia can be disproportionately high in learning disability care homes so it is common to find SLTs working in learning disability care. The role of speech-language therapists in many Select Healthcare homes involves helping vulnerable people to eat and drink safely by making assessment-based changes to medication, eating utensils and adjusting food and liquid consistency. 

Speech-language therapy also supports care home residents who need to improve verbal and non-verbal communication. For example, a speech and language therapist for autism can have a huge impact on the quality of life of a non-verbal individual. The improved communication enables people in care homes to build relationships, make choices and be involved in their care. Therapists are vital to the process of establishing the type of communication system that works best for the resident so they can confidently communicate their needs to the care team. Through multidisciplinary training, speech-language therapists also coordinate with dieticians, OTs and PTs to ensure residents receive high-quality holistic care that is tailored to them.

At Select Healthcare, speech and language therapists work with the full spectrum of disabilities in the following care settings:

• Dementia care
• Brain injury rehabilitation
• Learning disability care
• Physical disability care
• Palliative care
• Mental health care 

 

Therapy Jobs at Select Healthcare

Are you a qualified therapist who would like to take your career in a new direction? Why not find out more information about speech-language therapy jobs, physiotherapy jobs and occupational therapy jobs in Select Healthcare homes? Submit your CV to our team to start your journey in health and social care.

 

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