Occupational therapy and me...
I am an occupational therapist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I knew that I wanted to be an occupational therapist since I was 16 years old! I finished my Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at La Trobe University in 2003. My final year placement was with Yooralla, a Victorian based not-for-profit organisation offering a wide range of services to pople of all ages who are either born with or acquire a disability as the result of accident, ill health or age. At the end of this placement a full time job became available and I was the successful applicant.
In 2005 I took twelve months leave without pay from Yooralla to work in the United Kingdom as an occupational therapist. During this time I worked in hospital and community based health services in Birmingham, Lowestoft and Kettering.
I was then able to resume my employment with Yooralla and have now been working there for almost seven years. During this time I have developed a professional interest in complex wheelchairs and seating. I love the process of engaging with a person and their support team to identify the most appropriate equipment. I find it really rewarding when lots of different needs and perspectives need to be balanced but the end outcome is a wheelchair that everyone is really happy with and the person is better equipped to achieve their goals.
My own experience of developing these skills and the challenges of mentoring other therapists into this line of work have motivated my study tour project. I hope that the resources I collect and develop as a result of this study tour will be able to contribute to this field of work and start to document the practical wealth of experience that exists both nationally and internationally. I am lucky to work with some multi-cultural equipment suppliers who have willingly shared their contacts from 'back home'.
The above photograph was taken in Perth, Western Australia, when I was there for the first part of my study tour. The tree in the background is a giant boab tree which was relocated to Kings Park from the Kimberley Region, 3200km north of Perth. The tree is estimated to be 750 years old.
In 2005 I took twelve months leave without pay from Yooralla to work in the United Kingdom as an occupational therapist. During this time I worked in hospital and community based health services in Birmingham, Lowestoft and Kettering.
I was then able to resume my employment with Yooralla and have now been working there for almost seven years. During this time I have developed a professional interest in complex wheelchairs and seating. I love the process of engaging with a person and their support team to identify the most appropriate equipment. I find it really rewarding when lots of different needs and perspectives need to be balanced but the end outcome is a wheelchair that everyone is really happy with and the person is better equipped to achieve their goals.
My own experience of developing these skills and the challenges of mentoring other therapists into this line of work have motivated my study tour project. I hope that the resources I collect and develop as a result of this study tour will be able to contribute to this field of work and start to document the practical wealth of experience that exists both nationally and internationally. I am lucky to work with some multi-cultural equipment suppliers who have willingly shared their contacts from 'back home'.
The above photograph was taken in Perth, Western Australia, when I was there for the first part of my study tour. The tree in the background is a giant boab tree which was relocated to Kings Park from the Kimberley Region, 3200km north of Perth. The tree is estimated to be 750 years old.
Working at Yooralla
Yooralla has recently reorganised their management structure so that residential services and adult day services are both in the 'Lifestyle Support and Choice' division. The therapy support team provides therapy services across this division. My job role is embedded in Yooralla's adult day services in the Eastern and Southern regions of Melbourne and I visit up to seven facility or community based programs each week. I work with families, support staff and the person with a disability to assist the person to achieve their personal goals through participation in the day program. Most of the people in Yooralla's day services have complex physical, cognitive and sensory disabilities that impact on their ability to communicate.
In my role I work with people who have a disability, in conjunction with their families and support team, to
I also work on projects that benefit staff and the organisation as a whole, and assist with running Yooralla's induction training program. Current projects are a person centred profile project, which is an approach to ensure that the support profile documentation is accessible to staff and reflects the person's wishes in regard to personal care regardless of their communication skills. We are also working on a shared risk strategy that helps people work through different perspectives or issues of risk from a person centred perspective.
In my role I work with people who have a disability, in conjunction with their families and support team, to
- choose supports for moving around, using the bathroom and eating and drinking
- stay safe when doing the activities that they want to do
- participate in leisure, educational and social pursuits - this might involve using switches, adapting the environment or activity, teaching support staff new skills, or trialling aids and equipment
I also work on projects that benefit staff and the organisation as a whole, and assist with running Yooralla's induction training program. Current projects are a person centred profile project, which is an approach to ensure that the support profile documentation is accessible to staff and reflects the person's wishes in regard to personal care regardless of their communication skills. We are also working on a shared risk strategy that helps people work through different perspectives or issues of risk from a person centred perspective.
At home
I live with my husband and our cocker spaniel, Bentley, in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs. Bentley is a bit camera shy so it's hard to get a photo that doesn't involve him running away!
My husband is a landscape gardener and we are finishing renovations to a house that we moved into in April.
In my spare time I enjoy running, swimming, cycling, travelling, reading, playing the piano, cooking and catching up with family and friends.
My husband is a landscape gardener and we are finishing renovations to a house that we moved into in April.
In my spare time I enjoy running, swimming, cycling, travelling, reading, playing the piano, cooking and catching up with family and friends.