Her patient was an elderly man who lived alone in a one-room flat and had not been home for three months due to his medical condition.

Ms Ow was taken aback by the neglected state of his home. Recalls the 23-year-old, who works in the Occupational Therapy (OT) Department at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH): "The house was dusty and the lights were not working properly. There were dead cockroaches on the floor and the place was cluttered with unused furniture and junk."

The refrigerator was infested with maggots and emitted an unbearable stench.

She spruced up the place and also recommended installing home safety measures, such as putting up grab bars, removing fall hazards and re-arranging furniture pieces so that the elderly man could move around safely.

"Nothing I had learnt in school prepared me for that home visit. After this experience, I feel that my job helps others achieve independent living," says Ms Ow.

She started volunteering at welfare organisations and nursing homes during her secondary school days. She chose to become an occupational therapist as she felt it was the right fit, and it also appealed to her altruistic side.

After completing her A levels, she went on to obtain a diploma from Nanyang Polytechnic and a degree in occupational therapy from La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.

Occupational therapy helps people prevent, reduce or overcome the effects of disabilities, and makes them more independent.

The OT department in TTSH has about 40 staff members, including therapists, therapy assistants and support staff. Every day, Ms Ow sees up to 14 patients with medical conditions such as stroke, dementia, renal failure and Parkinson's disease.

Depending on their conditions and needs, she may have to perform a detailed functional assessment of the patient's ability to perform basic activities of daily living such as dressing, grooming and feeding.

She may also demonstrate the correct and safe use of a wheelchair, and equip patients' caregivers with the appropriate skills to care for their family members at home.

Sometimes, she conducts home visits to assess the patient's ability to function at home, and recommends the type of safety measures or home modifications the patient may need.

She keeps herself updated by attending courses on nutrition, patient and customer-related services and workshops on rehabilitation and research.

Balancing the varied job scope is a challenge for Ms Ow. She says: "As TTSH is one of the busiest acute hospitals in Singapore, the caseload can be challenging. We constantly check and monitor the patients' medical status to ascertain their fitness for therapy. I also have to juggle my patient load and projects and courses."

She credits fellow therapists, as well as doctors and nurses with giving her guidance and support, and helping her to expand her clinical knowledge and practical skills.

Ms Ow is now working with a colleague on a literature review on stroke rehabilitation, which will be presented at the Singapore-Malaysia Occupational Therapy Congress this June.

She says: "At work, I learn something new about each individual every day. No two patients are the same, as they present different problems, needs and goals.

"I love my job. With the greying population and the emergence and demand for occupational therapy and the diversity it offers, this job is definitely a lifelong career for me. I would love to continue to help promote the growth of this wonderful profession."

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