OT Week | The hub of holistic care - Why OT is the starting point for every journey

By Michaela White, Clinical Manager & Occupational Therapist, AJM Choice

When people think about healthcare, they often picture doctors diagnosing, nurses caring, and physiotherapists helping people move again. Yet behind almost every successful rehabilitation story, there is also an Occupational Therapist, quietly coordinating, connecting and creating the plan that makes everything else possible.

For me, that’s what makes occupational therapy so special. We’re not just treating a condition, we are looking at the whole person. We assess not only what someone cannot do, but also what they want and need to do. Then we find practical, meaningful ways to make that possible.

That’s why I see OTs as the hub of holistic care. We bring together every aspect of a person’s recovery, from physical needs to emotional wellbeing, and from home environments to community participation.

Prevention and early intervention

One of the biggest shifts in modern healthcare is the focus on prevention. It’s not only about treating problems once they arise, but identifying challenges early and putting the right support in place to stop them from getting worse.

This is where OT makes a real difference. A timely assessment can prevent hospital readmission, reduce carer strain and protect long-term independence. Whether it involves recommending the right seating system, arranging a home adaptation or helping someone relearn essential skills after illness or injury, early OT involvement can change the trajectory of recovery.

When we get it right from the start, everything that follows such as physiotherapy, equipment provision and care planning, works more effectively.

A connector in the system

Occupational Therapists are often the bridge between health and social care. We work alongside doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and social workers, but our perspective is unique. We focus on function and participation.

When a person is ready to leave hospital, it is often the OT who ensures that their discharge plan works in real life, that the right equipment, adaptations and care support are in place.

We do not just ask, “Can this person move safely?”
We ask, “Can they live safely and meaningfully?”

That difference may seem small, but it is powerful. It is what drives sustainable outcomes.

Seeing the whole picture

No two people live their lives in the same way, which means OT assessments can never be one size fits all. Every person’s home, work, social life and priorities are different.

Sometimes the solution is simple, a small adaptation, a change of routine or a new piece of equipment. Other times it’s about helping someone rediscover purpose after trauma or loss.

What matters is that we start with what matters to them. That’s how we turn rehabilitation into re-engagement with life.

OT at the centre of early intervention

When OTs are involved early, we do more than support recovery, we shape it. We help reduce waiting times, streamline services and prevent deterioration that can lead to long-term complications or institutional care.

At AJM Choice, we are strong advocates for early intervention. Every assessment is an opportunity to look beyond diagnosis and see potential, to consider not only today’s needs, but tomorrow’s independence.

As we celebrate OT Week, I want to recognise every therapist working tirelessly to make those early decisions that change lives later. Because when we place occupational therapy at the heart of care, everything else starts to connect.