This article examines the perceived need for occupational therapy in private care homes in Northern Ireland by reviewing the relevant literature and by reporting on a survey which used postal questionnaires to sample the attitudes and opinions of home managers and occupational therapists. The review points to the growing number of elderly people requiring care and to the influence of current Government policies which has led to the recent rapid expansion of private care homes. It also examines the existing provision of occupational therapy. The survey substantiates the research hypothesis and highlights several issues which require to be addressed before any real progress can be made in the provision of occupational therapists to the private care homes in Northern Ireland.
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