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#IamMGH tells the stories of our people. In celebration of Occupational Therapy Month (October 1 to 31), meet Katie Jones, Occupational Therapist (OT) at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH).
“I’m an Occupational Therapist with the Interprofessional Practice team at MGH. I work mainly on T7 in General Medicine and also provide coverage on T8 in the Inpatient Stroke Unit.
My role focuses on helping patients get back to their daily activities. For some patients, that means rebuilding independence in basic activities like bathing, getting dressed or showering on their own. For others, it’s about regaining the ability to do things they enjoy like grocery shopping or even returning to driving. I look at both the physical and cognitive challenges patients may face and provide tools, strategies or adaptations that allow them to move forward with confidence.
My own experiences growing up with a chronic illness inspired me to pursue this field. I often felt that my care focused on separate parts of me, my physical health or mental health, but never came together to focus on me entirely. That gap shaped my desire to be part of a profession that sees people in their entirety.
After completing my undergraduate degree in kinesiology, I went on to study occupational therapy which felt like the perfect fit. It’s a profession that not only looks at the physical, but also the emotional and cognitive aspects of health and how all of those come together in the everyday routines that make life meaningful.
The most rewarding part of my job is seeing patients make progress, even in small steps. Many people come to the hospital at their lowest, unable to do things they once managed easily. Watching someone go from needing assistance for every task to walking to the bathroom independently, or from struggling to express themselves to communicating clearly again is incredibly powerful. These milestones might seem small from the outside, but for patients and families, they represent hope, dignity and a sense of possibility. Those are the moments that stay with me.
One challenge I see within this field of work is when patients are unable to recover. In this type of situation, my role shifts from building independence to helping patients and families adapt with compassion and honesty. Occupational therapy isn’t just about exercises or techniques. Sometimes it’s about sitting with someone, listening to them and making sure they feel seen and heard.
Compassion is the value that drives everything I do. Every patient has their own journey. My job is to meet them where they are at, help them set goals that matter to them and provide the tools, whether physical, cognitive or emotional, that allow them to live their lives with independence and dignity. That’s what makes this work so meaningful to me.”
To learn more about Occupational Therapy at MGH, click here to watch a video highlighting the important work our OTs do every day.
