Joint music therapy and occupational therapy sensory sessions with “Fran”: “Sensing the seasons”

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to describe a joint collaboration between an occupational therapist and music therapist at the Royal Hospital for Neuro‐disability in Putney, London, UK. It outlines a series of sessions with a patient with hypoxic brain injury who was referred to the neuro‐behavioural unit for rehabilitation.

Design/methodology/approach

The joint work commenced due to a realisation that this particular patient responded well to sensory input and the music and occupational therapist wanted to offer the opportunity to explore this intervention further within a different framework of joint sessions. The article provides an overview of this input, which involved bi‐monthly hour long sessions exploring responses to and engagement with various stimuli within a frame of music, poems and storyline along the themes of the seasons. This ran in conjunction with other rehabilitation sessions on the unit.

Findings

The authors found that the patient responded to this format with the focus being on the creative framework and the interaction between the therapists and minimal pressure to achieve tasks. Of course there were still clear clinical goals and there was participation from the patient in order to improve functional abilities.

Originality/value

The overriding improvements in the patient from using this therapy approach were an increase in concentration span and attention and reduction in vocal distress and behavioural agitation. The authors surmise that there is a place for a package of sensorial input with suggestions for implementation which could be used for other patients in neuro‐rehabilitation in this setting or elsewhere.

Citation

Turner, S. and Tyas, R. (2012), "Joint music therapy and occupational therapy sensory sessions with “Fran”: “Sensing the seasons”", Social Care and Neurodisability, Vol. 3 No. 4, pp. 165-171. https://doi.org/10.1108/20420911211286560