It’s a sunny afternoon and five Bridgepoint patients are enjoying Occupational Therapy. But they’re not in the gym. They’re cooking together, making a delicious dinner.
All five patients, Bernie, Stamatia, Mary, Sabrina and Ross are getting ready to make the transition from the hospital back home to the community. The cooking session takes place in a kitchen with a fridge, stove, sink, microwave and cupboards—just like a home kitchen.
“A cooking session like this can help ease the transition for patients going back home after weeks or months in the hospital,” says Laura Khoo, Occupational Therapist. “Many patients are going home using a wheelchair, walker or cane that they weren’t using before. In these cooking sessions we help patients adapt to this change and talk about safety considerations. This is a great opportunity for them to practice.” Occupational Therapists at Bridgepoint also make home visits and recommend modifications, tools or equipment to meet patients’ specific needs.
All five patients are contributing to the dinner, dicing peppers for rice pilaf, preparing a chicken to roast and making a meat loaf. Once the rice is simmering and the meatloaf and chicken are in the oven, they start chopping cucumbers and tomatoes for a Greek salad. The group chats together as they wait for the food to cook. The atmosphere in the kitchen feels a little bit like a big family dinner. During their time at the hospital these patients have gotten to know each other and become friends. The dinner is also a way to celebrate the progress they’ve each made in their rehabilitation.
When the oven timer goes off and the food is done, everyone gathers around the kitchen’s large table, passing plates and dishing out scoops of rice and slices of meatloaf. Time to enjoy the delicious results of their work.
Stamatia checks on the food. It’s ready!
Bernie shops up cucumber for a salad.