› Embracing wellbeing

11 October 2021

Burwood Hospital’s Occupational Therapy Social Club organised a department Wellbeing Week to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing. Wellness packs were handed out to teams at the beginning of the week with resources, activities to complete, stickers, badges, chocolates, and herbal (un-caffeinated) teas to promote relaxation, says Burwood Spinal Unit Occupational Therapist Pip Dow. “Various department activities were held over the week including a speed mingling lunch to encourage staff to get to know others they may not regularly have had the opportunity to connect and converse with. Great fun was had by all.” There was also a lunchtime walk with colleagues where phones were encouraged to be left behind, promoting periods of disconnecting from devices and connecting with each other.

“One of our wellbeing events included a collection for our annual fundraiser. This year funds were raised for Canine Friends Pet Therapy, a volunteer not-for-profit pet therapy organisation that regularly visits patients at Burwood Hospital with their therapy dogs. “We were able to complete the lunchtime walk with two of the Canine Friends therapy dogs, Isla and Jess. Our team have enjoyed the week’s events, and so we encourage other areas to take time to embrace wellbeing,” Pip says.

Therapy dogs Isla and Jess enjoying some attention from Occupational Therapy department staff Occupational Therapy team members on a lunchtime walk with therapy dogs Isla and Jess