COVID-19: Advice from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ (RCOT) main advice page for maintaining wellness during the Covid-19 pandemic, including wellness while social distancing: https://www.rcot.co.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-0
The government is advising everyone to adopt social distancing measures and most schools across the UK are now closed. The government has stated that if you have an underlying health condition(s) or if you are aged 70 or older, you need to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.
As occupational therapists, we are in a strong position to advise people on how to stay well while social distancing. Indeed, many people look to us for guidance and now is the time for us to step forward.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a parent with children or on your own, we know that during this period it’s important that you look after your mental and emotional wellbeing as well as your physical health. Children especially will now be spending their days at home away from their usual routines, friends and activities. As parents/carers, you will inevitably be concerned about the effect this may have on their development, physical and mental health, as well as your own family’s wellbeing.
This guide offers practical suggestions on how to help your children manage the next few weeks and what you can do to help yourself.
A: Guidance for parents who are socially distancing with children
Establish a daily routine.
Routines provide reassuring structure and purpose. Include a mix of learning, creative, physical and relaxation time and schedule time for ‘electronics’ if this is important to your child. Help them make a visual timetable so everyone understands the plan.
Make time for physical activity.
Encourage your child to go outside if you can and rediscover garden games such as swing ball, skipping and tennis. If you can’t get outside suggest your child makes an indoor obstacle course or follows an online exercise programme. The BBC and ITV are adding fitness programmes to their broadcast schedules. There are also a multitude of free videos and fitness instructions online provided you have internet access.
Work on personal care skills.
Identify self-care tasks that your child would like to do more independently, for example tying shoelaces or getting dressed. Look online for ideas about how to break the task down into manageable parts or for different approaches to make the task easier.
Develop life skills.
Now is a great time for your child to master useful life skills such as preparing their lunch, using a washing machine and changing their bed sheets. Involve other family members in teaching skills (perhaps via video link) or use online tutorials which ensure that instructions are given consistently. Older children could complete online courses in first aid or start to learn another language/skill.
Create a suitable place for your child to study .
This should be different to their relaxation space. Ideally, they should have an appropriately sized chair and table to aid posture, but if they must use adult furniture make sure they can sit so that their feet can be firmly planted and their shoulders relaxed when working at a table.
Teach your child to type.
Typing is a valuable skill for education, social communication and for the workplace. There are a variety of free and paid-for online typing tutorials available – choose the one that works best for your child.
Rediscover creative activities.
Examples could include play dough, junk modelling, Lego and origami.
Spend social time together as a family.
Play board games, watch a film, make a cake, play multiplayer console games together. Schedule mealtimes and commit to these as adults, especially if you are working from home. They are a useful time to connect socially as a family.
Keep in touch.
Arrange for your child to spend time each day talking to friends or family members on the phone or by social media (with adult supervision where appropriate). Write letters to older family members and maybe your child will receive one in return.
Look after yourself.
Being a full-time parent/carer whilst managing a household and handling work responsibilities is challenging. Make sure you eat and sleep well, and include time for your own rest and leisure in your daily routine. See further guide below:
B: Guidance for adults who are socially distancing:
Establish a daily routine.
Routines provide structure and purpose.
Balance your weekly routine.
This is so you have a good mix of work (activities that must be done), rest and leisure.
Think about the regular activities that are most important to you.
What are the important elements to these? Can you adapt them to carry out in the home? For example, instead of a class, following an online strength and balance routine.
Set daily goals.
This helps to provide purpose and a sense of achievement. This might include working through that list of the things you keep meaning to do but never get around to…
Identify the triggers that make you feel low.
Following this, look for ways to reduce or manage them.
Talk with family, friends and neighbours.
This is in order to help them understand how you feel and how they can help. Can they talk you through using apps on your mobile phone, for instance?
Take care of yourself.
Eat and drink healthily with plenty of fruit, vegetables and water to support your immune function and energy levels. For more information see the BDA website.
Avoid staying still for too long.
Exercise and regular movement will maintain fitness and strength. If you are working from home, take breaks and eat away from your “desk.”
Have a good sleep routine.
If you are struggling, try avoiding tea and coffee in the late afternoon and evening, take a bath, using blackout curtains, listening to gentle music or deep breathing exercises.
Keep in touch.
Arrange to speak to someone most days on the phone, through social media or over the garden fence. Age UK and Silverline have people to speak to if you have no one else.
For more information and guidance, please visit the Covid-19 advice page on the RCOT website: https://www.rcot.co.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-0