Sarah Revel, Occupational Therapist

What’s your role?

I am the Occupational Therapist in the team, and I joined in 2016 when the Care Centre secured a grant to create my post. I was working on the acute neurology ward so I was involved with the

MND patients when they were in hospital and I jumped at the chance to be able to work with them in their homes, where you can really make a difference.

What part of the care jigsaw do you provide for MND patients?

My primary role is the care of hands! I make sure that our patients are offered the best hand splints at the right time which may be to help them still use their hands as the muscles weaken or to make sure they are comfortable when they become stiff and more difficult to move. I also see my role as the link to community OT's to offer specialist knowledge about MND and enable quick communication and the provision of equipment.

What do you enjoy about your role?

I have always loved talking to people about who they are and finding creative solutions to keep them doing whatever is important to them. I love the autonomy of the role to carry out my interventions wherever best suits the patient, but also the team I work with, their support is so important for holistic care to our patients.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

I love camping with my family in Cornwall, by the beach. The sunshine and eating fish and chips!

Is there a highlight moment in your time here?

I have had the opportunity to be so creative with my patients and I call myself the Blue Peter OT! One big highlight was creating a splint for a patient's hand to help him play snooker. The hand he held the cue in became very weak suddenly and he wanted to play one last game so we created a splint together to enable him to still hold the cue. It wasn't perfect but he gained closure on his lifetime hobby of playing snooker, which made a real difference during his journey with MND.