Occupational therapy relaxation sessions for all the family on Public Broadcasting Services to assist in helping achieve relaxation during isolation and during stressful periods
Telehealth Occupational Therapy is a new project launched on Monday 11th May 2020 by the Directorate Allied Health Care Services, through the office of the Director General Health Care Services – Mr. Clarence Pace, and the Occupational Therapy Services on an initiative of the OT Department at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre.
The project is aimed at helping individuals including children who are experiencing increased stress and anxiety. Anxiety can manifest both by physical and cognitive effects and include signs that range from sweating and increased heartbeat to poor concentration, irritability and aggression. Children, more than adults, can be affected by stress caused by the suspension of normal routines, lack of understanding, worries and fear of the unknown and uncertainty.
Stress is also identified as an important factor in meeting the challenges of life positively and constructively and hence, it is important to implement stress management programs at every stage of the life-span in order to facilitate positive utilization of stress from infancy to old age.
As from today relaxation sessions in Maltese are being aired on TVM 2 at 18.20 hours following the daily mass. The relaxation sessions have been designed to help those individuals including children and their families who during these extraordinary circumstances have been confined in their own home, away from their usual routines, including their social encounters. These short relaxation sessions in Maltese are meant to bring the family members together for a few minutes and experience a positive feeling of tranquillity which has possibly been disrupted in their household due to COVID-19 crisis.
Dr Rita Micallef – Director Allied Health Care Services has acknowledged the value of the collaboration of the Occupational Therapy Department, specifically the Occupational Therapy unit at SAMOC with the Ministry for Health and has thanked all the stakeholders that have intensely supported this initiative. She added that the expertise of all the stakeholders has given an added value to this information tool which will have a direct positive impact on the Maltese Community.
Relaxation sessions will be aired on a daily basis on TVM 2 at 18.20 hours after the daily mass.