Rebuilding Lives, One Daily Task at a Time

Everyday actions like lifting a spoon or buttoning a shirt may seem simple, but they are powerful markers of progress for someone regaining independence

Helping patients live life fully: Aspiring occupational therapist’s mission

Straits Times Scholars’ Choice Feature: 22 February 2024

Featured Occupational Therapist:
Low Hsien Long, Occupational Therapist @ Ren Ci Hospital

Through occupational therapy, Mr Low Hsien Loong hopes to help his patients live their lives to the fullest. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA

Low Hsien Loong, a final-year Occupational Therapy student at the Singapore Institute of Technology, discovered his calling while guiding patients through simple but meaningful rehabilitation tasks during his clinical attachment at St Luke’s ElderCare. Working with a stroke patient who struggled with scooping rice and doing basic movements, he saw firsthand how small daily actions can hold deep significance during recovery — reinforcing his desire to help people regain independence.

Inspired by a quote describing OT as “living life to its fullest despite difficulties,” he entered the profession after exploring different healthcare roles and working as a patient service associate in an OT clinic. Through this, he saw how OTs design personalised treatment plans tailored to each patient’s lifestyle, routines, and environment.

Low has completed five clinical rotations, each showing him how occupational therapy blends creativity, empathy, and problem-solving. He often adapts therapy to a patient’s interests — integrating fishing motions for a stroke survivor who enjoyed fishing, or using an autism communication app to help another patient express emotions. These experiences taught him that effective OT requires flexibility and an understanding that every individual responds differently.

Awarded the Community Care Scholarship (Mid-Term), he will serve at Ren Ci Community Hospital after graduation, supporting patients with conditions such as stroke, orthopaedic injuries, and dementia. Low believes deeply in community care — helping patients reconnect with meaningful activities, regain function, and reintegrate into daily life.

His journey reflects a central truth of occupational therapy:
there is no one-size-fits-all approach — only personalised, purposeful care that helps people live life fully again.

(Source: The Straits Times Scholars’ Choice)