"I’m becoming more optimistic with each new step". A York piano teacher diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease has told how occupational therapy has helped him return to teaching. Kate Liptrot reports.

A YEAR ago Chris was forced to move back in to his parents' home after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

He had started to slow down in function and suddenly became dependent for all his care - a huge life adjustment for him as a man in his early fifties he had been used to an active and self sufficient lifestyle.

“I was so ill that I had to move back to my parent's home so they could care for me," he said, "I found it hard to swallow and speak and couldn’t even lift cutlery to feed myself. I had to be fed and it would take me an hour and a half just to eat a bowl of cereal. During that time I lost three and a-half-stone and was in a wheelchair, dependent on everyone for help.”

After undergoing speech and language therapy Chris was referred for occupational therapy at York Hospital in July - which he has credited with allowing him to return home.

Beverley Richmond, a senior occupational therapist, from the Neurosciences Unit at York Hospital, said: “I first assessed Chris in July and his main goal was to be able to return to his home in York and live independently. Together we worked on short term goals and graded activities, such as being able to shower independently and safely and to be safe with stair climbing.”

Chris was provided with a shower board to make it easier and safer to get into the bath to use the shower, and a grab rail for safety. He also needed rails at the top of the stairs and by his bed.

A key step to his returning home was the ability to prepare a hot meal, which Beverley helped with by accompanying him to his local shops to buy ingredients. He continued to practice making simple meals at his parents' home in preparation to moving back to his own home.

“To be able to return home to independent living Chris began by staying at his home alone for an afternoon, gradually increasing to staying overnight with an initial visit from our team in the morning," Beverley said, "Chris is now living back at his home and spending six nights there and one night at his parents but everything is taken one step at a time.

“Chris has come a long way since his diagnosis, he has worked really hard to get from being so poorly at the beginning of the year to becoming independent once again.”

He has tentatively returned to piano teaching again with a few pupils coming to his home for lessons and said his latest milestone was to catch the bus with Beverley from his home to the hospital so he can get to his appointments without relying on his parents.

“I’m becoming more optimistic with each new step," Chris said, "Self doubt does creep in from time to time, especially on a night when I get tired, but every morning I wake up and it’s a new day. I couldn’t have done any of it without my parents who have been marvellous in the way they have cared for me. The NHS has been absolutely fantastic and having good neighbours and a supportive neighbourhood has been very important to me.

“I try to get out for walks and say hello to people every day and I’ve even been able to go back to teaching piano. My next goal will be to go back to the gym.”

There are over 29,000 qualified occupational therapists in the UK and more than 90 working for York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, all who celebrated their profession during November's Occupational Therapy Week.

Occupational therapists work with people of all ages to help them overcome the effects of disability caused by physical or psychological illness, ageing or accident.

The team helps people who are ill, disabled or feeling the effects of ageing to do the things that are important to them – such as preparing a meal, returning to work, or doing a favourite pastime. Occupational therapists work in a variety of roles including helping people to return to work, supporting people with depression, to designing accessible environments and products.

After identifying the difficulties experienced by the individual with everyday tasks, occupational therapists can help by either practising the activity in manageable stages, teaching a different way to complete the activity, recommending changes that will make the activity easier or providing devices that make activities easier.

- Chris asked that his surname was not included