Patricia van der Westhuizen Occupational Therapy

28/05/2026

14/07/2025

Great post by Wilene Wiggill Occupational Therapy Inc. - Port Elizabeth

22/04/2025

"What is Occupational Therapy – and how can it help YOU?"

If you've ever asked, “How do I get back to doing the things I love after an injury, stroke, or illness?” — you're in the right place.

At The Brainy Bunch Occupational Therapy Assosiciates, we offer the following services:

• Neuro Rehabilitation – Helping you recover function and independence after a stroke, brain injury, or neurological condition.

• Hand Therapy & Splinting – From fractures to arthritis, we support healing, reduce pain, and restore your hand’s strength and mobility with custom-made splints and targeted therapy.

• Functional Capacity Assessments (FCEs) – Objective, professional evaluations to guide safe return to work or help with disability claims.

• Work Conditioning – Getting you work-ready again through strength, endurance, and movement training based on your real job demands.

Let’s get you back to doing what matters most – one goal, one movement, one win at a time.

Book your first consult today!
082 527 0757

22/03/2025

🌟 The Role of Occupational Therapy in Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) Recovery 🌟

🩺 From Onset to Independence – How OT Helps Every Step of the Way

🔹 Onset & Acute Hospitalization
✔️ Positioning & splinting to prevent complications
✔️ Early movement exercises to maintain joint function
✔️ Energy conservation strategies

🔹 Rehabilitation Phase
✔️ Restoring strength & coordination for daily tasks
✔️ Adaptive techniques for dressing, eating, & mobility
✔️ Sensory retraining for numbness & tingling

🔹 Home-Based Care
✔️ Home modifications for safety & accessibility
✔️ Training caregivers for support & assistance
✔️ Gradual reintegration into community activities

🔹 Return to Work & Daily Life
✔️ Workstation adaptations & ergonomic support
✔️ Fatigue management & graded return to tasks
✔️ Confidence-building & independence in daily routines

💡 Occupational Therapists empower individuals with GBS to regain function, independence, and quality of life!

📢 Share this to spread awareness!

21/03/2025

🌟 What is "Occupation" in Occupational Therapy? 🌟

Did you know that occupation isn’t just about jobs? In Occupational Therapy (OT), it means the meaningful activities we do every day that bring purpose, independence, and joy!

✅ For a child, it’s playing, learning, and growing.
✅ For an adult, it’s working, cooking, and socializing.
✅ For a senior, it’s staying active, engaged, and independent.

💡 OT helps people regain, maintain, or enhance these daily activities to improve overall health and wellness! Whether it's recovering from an injury, managing a disability, or simply striving for a more fulfilling life—OT is there to help.

✨ Let’s celebrate the power of occupation in living life to the fullest! Share your thoughts below 👇 or tag someone who should know about OT!

19/03/2025

F is for...Functional capacity evaluations (FCE's aka work assessments)

FCE's are often used to determine your fitness ability to return to your current job after injury or illness. It is usually performed after your post hospital discharge follow up with your doctor, if they feel that something may still impact your ability to work. FCE's also include mediation with your employers and can additionally include work site visits.

Pre-Vocational Assessments on the other hand, are performed for person's with disabilities that have not yet entered into the workforce and are wanting to do so.

The FCE's can be performed at home or at your place of work (anywhere on the garden Route between Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay) or at our practice in George, Western Cape.

17/03/2025

D is for...DISABILITY.
Occupational Therapy aims to improve functionality in all daily activities , occupations, roles within disability caused by trauma, illness or injury. Occupational therapists empower the person and their support system to be able to reduce disability experienced and increase their functional independence where possible.

15/03/2025

E is for...EDUCATION!

Patient education is such a vital part but so often overlooked in the healthcare industry. It is important that when a patient visits a healthcare provider that they not only receive appropriate services, but also fully understand any information that may be available to them so that they can be involved in decision making. The better understanding a person will have of their condition or injury and ways to treat it, the more chance of compliance ☺️🫶🏻