12 minute read
OT Week wrap-up
OT Week 2022 wrap-up
OT Week 2022 ran from 24-30 October, coinciding with World Occupational Therapy Day on 27 October. OT Week is our annual national week when we celebrate and talk about all things occupational therapy. It enables OTA to shine a light on the amazing work OTs do across the community.
This year’s theme was What OT means to me and provided OTs, their clients, and industry partners with the opportunity to reflect on occupational therapy from their personal perspective.
OT teams across the country celebrated the week by holding events, displaying our OT Week social tiles and posters, and sharing with us what OT means to them.
Check some of the messages that OTs shared with us about what OT means to them, and visit otaus.com.au/otweek to see more!
OT is about skilfully co-creating a meaningful life with people.
ADAM LO
OT means supporting people to live the life they want to live.
RACHEL KNIGHT
OT means seeing opportunity, where others see limitations.
CHRIS PEARCE
OT has given me the ability to support people in a meaningful way and add value to their lives.
REBECCA WATSON-BROWN
24-30 OCTOBER 2022
OTAUS.COM.AU/OTWEEK #OTWEEK2022
Natalie Harbour, Apricus Health
For me, occupational therapy means doing ordinary things and achieving extraordinary results for the clients that access our service. There is nothing more satisfying than receiving thanks and a smile from a client because they’re able to achieve a goal that they previously couldn’t.
We have a chance to make a real difference for our clients in many areas of their lives, including improving access to the community, engaging in leisure activities, preventing falls – right down to simple tasks such as being able to independently put on socks. We are part of a fantastic profession that continues to adapt to the needs of our valued clients.
Zach Isaac, Apricus Health
I love the people that I work with and the gratitude they demonstrate. You can see it in their faces and the way they treat you – people are genuinely grateful and thankful to have you in their home.
I love the challenges that you face in trying to overcome different obstacles. Thinking outside the box can be difficult at times but is more rewarding when a unique or alternate way can be done to achieve a desired outcome.
I love working as a team, including with other health professionals, family members, stakeholders and more. When a team is dynamic and receptive, it is amazing to see the results that can come. Some of the best outcomes I’ve seen have come from great teams where everybody contributes and works towards the same goals.
On World Occupational Therapy Day, Adam Lo (Occupational Therapist and WFOT Delegate), Shimona Win Law (Occupational Therapist) and Smitha Bollur (Shimona’s student) joined the Member for Stretton, James Martin MP at Queensland Parliament. The visit recognised what occupational therapists do in the community across many different settings.
bendigoadvertiser.com.au ADVERTISING FEATURETuesday November 08, 2022 PLAYBOOKS - COMMERCIAL FEATURES 35
OT Week feature in the Bendigo Advertiser Patrick Dodds, NeuroRehab Allied Health Network
ADVERTISING FEATURE Thursday October 27, 2022BENDIGO ADVERTISER12 Editorial.Challenge.2017 LYNNE COOPER For the past 28 years my private practice has provided services to clients who need additional help to manage life at home. Many are receiving government Home Care Packages, which enable them to access home modi cations and a range of equipment. e value of occupational therapy is in providing a home assessment. e privilege of working with clients in their own home is invaluable. eir goals and aspirations are the key to our partnership. Maintaining independence using appropriate or adapted equipment can encourage a person to feel con dent and safer on a daily basis. Interventions to promote safe access both inside and outdoors can help to prevent injuries from falls or accidents. ere are a multitude of recommendations that can be the result of an occupational therapy home assessment. All are practical and focused on the client achieving their personal goals. OTA’s merchandise designed to celebrate the amazing work of OTs
KYM FITZGERALD Occupational erapy has provided me with 27 years of working with amazing people in many parts of the world. As a local practice owner, I often take calls from people who "just need an OT to help".Today's call was from a family member in need of OT support for a person living with Huntington's Disease in regional Victoria. Yesterday's call was from a 93-year-old Gold Card Veteran in Shepparton who needs an OT to assess her for a lift chair. is year is a timely reminder to all, that "occupation" is what we do with our time, and across the lifespan this can mean many things. I have OT friends from university days still. ey work in paediatrics, animal therapy and yoga. ey are award winners, experts in their areas and they are mums, daughters, sisters and friends. Hopefully they will stop for a moment during OT week and re ect on what this career means to them.
JEMMA MACDONALD Completing an occupational therapy degree at La Trobe University has been nothing short of amazing. In the past four years, I have gained a wealth of knowledge, professional capabilities and have been provided with many exciting opportunities to make the most of my tertiary education. e highlight of my university experience has de nitely been having access to a well-balanced combination of theory classes and practical components. It's been rewarding and satisfying seeing what I've learnt be applied in a real-life setting on clinical placements. Occupational therapy is about understanding what matters most to people and helping them engage in those things. Given occupational therapy is such a broad and versatile profession, it's hard to cover everything in one degree but La Trobe did a great job of giving you a little taste of everything, which helped me realise in which areas my true passions lie. What OT means to me - three locals re ect INSIGHT To celebrate World Occupational erapy Day, new and seasoned Bendigo OTs share the value of their work Kym Fitzgerald showing her hand therapy client Chris Morey that he can resume his leisure interest of metal detecting using a custom splint. Picture supplied Anthony, Vision Australia client Make daily living easier Vision Australia can help you live life on your terms • Advice on living safely and independently • Assistive technology and equipment • Maximise your NDIS and My Aged Care funding Speak with a local Occupational Therapist who can provide the support you need Call: Email: Visit us at: Website: 5445 5700 bendigo@visionaustralia.org 20 Bridge St, Bendigo www.visionaustralia.org VR4786524
• Home assessment and modifi cation advice - ramps, rails, steps, bathrooms. • Hand assessment and orthotic fabrication - custom hand splinting. • Equipment prescription - technology recommendations to meet service requirements • Report writing - as needed for funding bodies • DVA, HCP, NDIS and private funding
www.kfot.health kym@kfot.health
Examples of services offered Occupational Therapists work with you in many ways and at all stages of life, to return you to function and purpose. My interest for many years has been in Hand Therapy, whether around arthritis, congenital deformity or post injury. This has expanded to include the use of assistive technology to get the most out of the interplay between you and your environment in all areas of life. Offi ce 6, 468 Hargreaves St, Bendigo 0409 899 360
Bendigo Regional Occupational Therapy Private Practice Lynne Cooper • Home assessments for falls prevention • Special equipment at home to assist independence • Wheelchair and scooter assessments • Seating and special chairs • Personal alarm applications • Pressure care assessments • Palliative care - support to stay at home • Carer Support • Advisory service by phone Ph: 5442 4928 M: 0438 591 063 E: coopero@iinet.net.au VR4786014
Jemma MacDonald, winner of the Bendigo Regional Occupational Therapy award, Latrobe University 2022
Whether the goal is greater choice, inclusion, or new possibilities, being an occupational therapist affords us the privilege of joining people for a few hours along one small stage of their lifelong journey. The breadth of scope of practice for OT can be challenging but gives us an incredible opportunity to empower people in all aspects of life.
OTA celebrated OT Week across our social media with quotes, stories and a giveaway
Nicole de la Perrelle, Encourage OT
Occupational therapy means being part of a creative and caring profession that makes a difference in people’s lives. It’s such a meaningful and valuable profession but one that also comes with its challenges too. Personally, I am passionate about helping other OTs be the best OT they can be for their clients and to achieve the best outcomes, confidently and without burning out.
Thank you to everyone who participated in OT Week this year. A special thanks to Rachel Knight, Chris Pearce, Adam Lo and Rebecca WatsonBrown for allowing OTA to profile them as the faces of the 2022 campaign.
Enhanced Adjustable Beds:
Adjustable beds are a widely used tool in occupational therapy (OT) and other allied healthdisciplines. As therapeutic devices, they have a range of applications for patients with chronic conditions and physical disabilities. Importantly, though, a distinction needs to be made between basic adjustable beds, which deliver benefits purely through adjustments in height and positioning, and enhanced adjustable beds(EABs), which complement their intrinsic mechanical benefits with other therapeutic technologies.
ENHANCED ADJUSTABLE BEDS?
An enhanced adjustable bed can be defined by two key traits: 1. It is a full sleep system that comprises a mattress and a base. 2. It features therapeutic technologies other than just height and positioning adjustment. For example, many EABs use whole-body vibration therapy (WBVT), a technology that may improve chronic back pain, muscular strength, circulation, and bone density. Less commonly, frontier technologies like CELLIANT® are also used in EABs. CELLIANT is a bio-responsive textile that converts body heat into full-spectrum infrared energy, promoting local circulation and cell oxygenation. In the following sections, we’ll examine how EABs can be used to manage three common conditions.
LOWER EXTREMITY OEDEMA
One clear use case for EABs is to ease lower extremity oedema (swelling in the lower legs). The aetiology of oedema is complicated, but it’s often correlated with diabetes.1 Left unmanaged, oedema can cause pain, weakness, self-consciousness, and limited mobility.2 Leg elevation is a commonly recommended treatment for oedema; raising the swollen body parts above the heart decreases hydrostatic and venous pressure, which reduces swelling.2,3 As such, EABs with independent leg elevation can be ideal as a management tool – they can be used to regulate oedema at night or during sedentary periods, such as when patients are watching television or using laptops.
Just as importantly, therapeutic technologies like CELLIANT and WBVT may increase local circulation, promoting local cellular oxygenation.4,5 A side effect of leg elevation can be that tissue oxygenation is decreased – CELLIANT and WBVT can help counter this, making an EAB generally preferable compared to a basic adjustable bed.
MOBILITY CONDITIONS
One of the biggest benefits of EABs is their transformative impact on patient mobility. Age-related conditions like sarcopenia and arthritis, as well as mobility-limiting physical disabilities, can make sitting up and getting in and out of bed difficult. In many cases, patients may need assistance from clinical staff and allied health practitioners. This reduces independence and poses health risks to staff and practitioners, who may not have the equipment or physical capabilities to easily manoeuvre patients.6,7 A height-adjustable EAB obviates these risks through two mechanisms: a back tilt function that helps patients sit up, and a vertical adjustment function that elevates the bed from a normal height to a standing height, which acts as a lift to help the patient to their feet. Having both these features may reduce occupational stress in staff and carers, especially in relation to lower back strain.6,7,8 Importantly, EABs also eliminate the need for bed railings (for the majority of patients). Despite their prevalence, bed rails have been strongly linked to problems like bed-rail entrapment, which can result in adverse patient outcomes, and have not been proven to reduce fall incidences.9
PRESSURE ULCERS
Pressure ulcers are a serious condition common in older people and people with disabilities. The majority of ulcer prevention strategies aim to reduce either the magnitude or the duration of pressure between a patient and a support surface. The tilt functions of EABs can, to a point, alleviate pressure on certain parts of the body (such as the occiput and heels) – this may provide limited, temporary relief. Allied health practitioners, though, should focus on mattress choice. Selecting an EAB with a pressure-relieving support surface is essential for evenly distributing pressure throughout the patient’s body.10 Although high-specification options like air-fluidised beds exist, more widely available mattresses feature technologies like memory foam and micro-coils.10 Mattress enhancements like CELLIANT may also be beneficial. CELLIANT has been strongly linked to better local tissue oxygenation in five peer-reviewed studies; separate research indicates that tissue oxygenation may help prevent ischemia and hypoxia.8,11,12,13
SUMMARY
Restful sleep is critical for occupational performance. When patients live with chronic conditions, their ability to get the sleep they need is compromised, which can affect everything from mental health to independence.
Enhanced adjustable beds combine the benefits of better sleep with therapeutic technologies, making them a useful addition to the allied health toolkit. No single device is a panacea, but EABs, with their clear use cases for oedema, mobility conditions, and pressure sores, certainly merit consideration for many interventions.
About Seniors Plus
Seniors Plus by SleepHive is a leading Australian manufacturer of therapeutic sleep systems. Founded in 2012, Seniors Plus promotes better health for older Australians by making good sleep accessible for everyone, including people with chronic health conditions.
For more information: healthysleep@seniorsplus.com.au | 1300 375 337 | seniorsplus.com.au
