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Occupational Therapy Week: 6 – 12 November – Meet Yasmeen Yafai

November 6, 2023

Occupational therapy is one of the allied health professions that helps people of all ages who have physical, sensory, or cognitive problems. Occupational Therapy Week aims to increase awareness of and celebrate the essential service occupational therapists provide in helping patients regain independence in all areas of their lives. This year’s Occupational Therapy Week will be celebrated between 6 – 12 November.

Meet Yasmeen Yafai

“My name is Yasmeen, I’m a band 5 Occupational therapist who joined the trust at the end of 2021. I have completed rotations in Medicine, Home Based Intermediate Care, Palliative, Trauma and Orthopaedics and currently started my fourth rotation in the community setting, where I have gained a broad range of Occupational Therapy (OT) specific skills in both acute and community settings.

I am proud to be an Occupational Therapist because I have a passion for helping people in need, focusing on their roles and goals and passions in life. My future career goal is to help deprived people in poor areas of the world. OT is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and wellbeing through occupation. Fortunately, in the UK we have the resources to do so. People living in third world countries are disadvantaged in many ways and their quality of life is limited because of poverty or effects of war and therefore struggling to obtain the necessities – food, water and shelter. Occupation matters because it gives people’s lives meaning, purpose and structure (RCOT 2023) and taking part in occupations should be available to all people around the world.

When not working as an OT, I’m a florist working from home, this occupation is meaningful to me because it provides me with therapeutic joy. Social and therapeutic horticulture is proven to improve physical and mental health, as well as communication and thinking skills. Maybe one day I’ll be able to incorporate OT and Floristry in a world where there is peace but till now, I will aim to be the best OT I can be for people in need in Sandwell and West Birmingham.”

To celebrate Occupational Therapy Week, we will be hosting a special Occupational Therapy Week drop in event on Tuesday 7 November at Sandwell Education Centre from 10am – 3pm for all colleagues to attend.

For more information please email jannine.hall@nhs.net.