SUPPORTING BRAIN INJURY Neuro occupational therapy consultant Ruvini Silva works with brain-injured clients to support them to maximise their independence and achieve their personal goals. Ruvini shares the work she does in this role and discusses the changes she had to implement throughout the pandemic
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rom a young age, I believe my initial interest and exposure were gained by observing my father carrying out his consultations as a physician. This is where I mastered and emulated the fundamentals of building patient rapport, bedside mannerisms, communication and listening skills. Professionally though, my journey as an occupational therapist started in 1996 in Perth, Australia where I worked for the Blind Association as a new graduate. The role involved assessing and treating patients with various visual impairments as well as neurological or longer-term conditions. I then returned to the UK in the late 1990s where the clinical and management experience I gained in some of the most prestigious hospitals in London has framed my current practices as a consultant neuro occupational therapist. I worked as a neuro OT in the Midlands and then Southend-on-Sea which exposed me to various neuropathologies from MS to Guillain Barre to myasthenia gravis. From here I went on to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London to work in acute and rehabilitation with some excellent clinicians including allied health professionals and medics who were experts in their respective fields. This is where I learned and assimilated my clinical assessment skills and also gained exposure to evidence-based practice and research. In 2005, I then moved to Surrey with my young family and worked for Hampshire County Council as their county consultant until 2017. Now I work as an independent clinician and was instrumental in setting up a virtual service for brain-injured clients for a charity in Hampshire during the pandemic in early 2020. Brain injured clients in general are a more disadvantaged 12
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The most rewarding part of my job is experiencing progress whether that be physically, mentally or socially
