What do Occupational Therapists do?
Occupational Therapists aim to promote independence and/or function by assisting people (and their families) to maximise their level of independence in all areas of daily living. This includes: self care, domestic tasks, work, recreation, social interaction, community access and mobility.
Occupational Therapists provide comprehensive assessment and treatment of inpatients and outpatients, which includes:
- Assessment and training of personal and domestic activities of daily living
- Cognitive and perceptual assessment including functional strategies and retraining
- Upper limb therapy
- Splint fabrication and prescription
- Compression therapy and garment prescription
- Home safety assessment and home modification recommendations
- Prescription of equipment and assistive devices
- Education programs including pain management, falls prevention, energy conservation and work simplification
Inpatient services
Uniting Care Health Occupational Therapy offers inpatient services to The Wesley Hospital (TWH) and St Andrews War Memorial Hospital (SAWMH) patients, across a number of clinical areas. These clinical areas include but are not limited to: general medical, surgical, neurology, intensive care, orthopaedics, cancer care, palliative care, cardiology, women’s health, respiratory, pain management, ergonomic assessment and modification, and rehabilitation services.
Making a referral
Referrals can only be made by the treating medical professional, by documenting in a patient’s chart or contacting the Occupational Therapist directly via the paging system.
Outpatient services
Uniting Care Health Occupational Therapists offer Day Rehabilitation and specialist Outpatient services at both TWH and SAWMH sites. These services include:
• Hand therapy and splinting
• Lymphoedema and Oedema Management
• Day Rehabilitation (neurological, reconditioning)
• Pain Management programs
Making a referral
Referrals are generally made by a medical professional, via written referral, however patients are able to refer for outpatient services by contacting the Day Rehabilitation Service at the relevant hospital facility.