In Counties Manukau Health, occupational therapists (kaiwhakaora ngangahau) work with people of all ages who experience practical problems associated with living with physical and/or mental illness, injury or disability. This includes, but is not limited to:
Acute Allied Health Occupational therapy for adults covers multiple clinical specialties, including medicine, neurology, renal, surgery, and orthopaedics. The role of occupational therapy in inpatient services is to assess and treat shared goals to achieve a home discharge. This can include, but is not limited to, assessment and treatment of occupational performance and function, i.e., activities of daily living, cognition, and wheelchair/seating level 1.
Assessment Treatment & Rehabilitation (AT&R) Unit for adults and older adults with a variety of aging conditions, including many patients following injury secondary to a fall, joint replacements, and neurological disorders such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, amputees, and multiple sclerosis. Click on the following links for AT&R services - Services for Older People, Stroke Service, Needs Assessment & Service Co-ordination.
Community Based Rehabilitation Team Community Stroke Rehabilitation (CSR) supports patients in relearning old and developing new skills to maximise independence and quality of life in their home or community settings. We help patients to set goals to do the activities that are important to them. Therapy sessions focus on self care, work related and leisure activities.
Hand Therapy for children and adults with injuries to their hands and arms
Community Health Services occupational therapists in locality teams specialise in environmental assessment and adaptation for people over 16 years old with long-term disabilities and chronic health conditions. Interventions include teaching new strategies and approaches to engage in activities of daily living, wheelchair seating level 1. Level 2 and 3 seating should be referred onto the regional seating services.
Kidz First Child Development Service for children with developmental disorders (e.g. attention deficit disorder, autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, sensory processing disorders), serious illnesses and injuries.
Mental Health Services occupational therapists can be found in a range of practice settings, including: Community Mental Health teams, Intensive Community teams, Inpatient services, Rehabilitation accommodation, Maternal Mental Health, Early Psychosis Intervention, Child and Youth, Older People, and Cultural Services.
National Burns Centre for adults and children with burns. Burns Plastics and Paediatric occupational therapists cover burns inpatients and outpatients for national, regional, and local burns patients, running a regional scar management service and liaising closely with other scar management therapists around the country. Occupational therapists also cover the plastics ward, Kidzfirst, and Kidzfirst ED, including outpatient paediatric burns.
Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit (ASRU) for adults with spinal cord impairment across the majority of the North Island. Occupational therapists within this service cover the inpatient and outpatient settings, supporting people to rebuild independence and adapt to life with a new disability. This may include - rehabilitation for occupational performance, complex wheelchair seating and positioning aids, upper limb splinting and specialised recommendations to community providers working with people with spinal cord impairment.
Centre for Youth Health is an interprofessional team that includes Occupational Therapists. The team provide holistic care and support to young people with chronic and complex health conditions, developmental concerns, functional somatic health issues, high-risk health behaviours, and transgender health care needs.
What does an Occupational Therapist (Whakaora Ngangahau) do?
Occupational therapists are registered health professionals whose goal is to help people live independent, productive, and satisfying lives. They work to enable individuals to regain lost abilities or develop new skills and interests that support meaningful participation in everyday life.
Mental illness, physical illness, and disability can affect a person’s ability to engage in the activities they want and need to do—these activities are known as occupations. Occupational therapists support people to participate in these occupations by helping them develop, relearn, or maintain the skills needed for daily living, work, and leisure.
Occupational therapists also play an important role in supporting transitions between environments, including from the hospital back into the community. They help ensure continuity of care, promote independence, and reduce disruption by preparing individuals and their whānau for changes in routines, roles, and environments.
They work not only with individuals but also with whānau, caregivers, friends, teachers, and employers to build understanding and strategies that support independence. The term “occupation” refers to the everyday activities we do, from self-care tasks like dressing, cooking, and eating to work tasks and using technology such as computers.
Occupational therapists may work with individuals and their whānau to address self-care, work, and leisure needs. This can include developing habits, routines, and skills; using community resources; and engaging with community agencies so that a person can live the life they want in the environment of their choice.