Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists (OTs):

• Are responsible for facilitating safe and timely discharge to the most appropriate destination.
• Assess clients of all ages, address relevant difficulties with daily living activities, life roles and access to home facilities.
• Recommend and arrange supply of equipment (excluding mobility aids) to promote safe discharge and complete home assessments to arrange modifications when indicated.
• Provide comprehensive hand therapy assessment, intervention and education

Other services include:

• Discharge planning
• Activities of Daily Living (ADL) assessment and training
• Home assessment and modifications
• Prescribing equipment
• Upper limb assessment and management (splint/strengthening)
• Scar management (including burns)
• Pressure care assessment and education
• Cognitive assessment and retraining
• Referral to relevant community agencies

An inpatient occupational therapy service is provided to all wards of University Hospital Geelong. This service covers a wide range of clinical areas including; surgical, medical, orthopaedics, neurology, paediatrics and emergency.

The Occupational Therapy department also offers an acute outpatient specialised hand therapy service for traumatic hand injuries and elective hand surgery.

The Inpatient Rehabilitation Centre (IRC) and the North Geelong Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC), both based at the McKellar Centre, provide patient/client-centred Occupational Therapy services within a multidisciplinary team.

The focus of Occupational Therapy intervention is to facilitate maximum independence and safety with daily living skills considering the patient/clients physical, cognitive and psychological functioning.

An Occupational Therapy service is provided to all wards of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Centre, including Neurological, Orthopaedic, GEM, Trauma and Palliative Care.

The North Geelong Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC)  provides community-based Occupational Therapy services for Neurology, Orthopaedics,  Amputees, Trauma Rehabilitation, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and Post Polio Services.

Occupational Therapists (OTs) in IRC:

• Assess clients, address relevant issues with daily living activities, access to the home environment and discharge planning.
• Work within a multidisciplinary team to facilitate safe and timely discharge to the most appropriate destination.
• Recommend and arrange a supply of equipment (excluding mobility aids) to promote safe discharge.
• Complete home assessments and arrange modifications when indicated.
• Refer to relevant community agencies.

Occupational Therapists in the North Geelong CRC work with clients to address difficulties they may be having in the following areas:

• Activities of daily living
• Upper Limb function
• Cognition (Thinking Skills)
• Life roles (school/work/driving)
• Home environment
• Leisure/recreation

What is community Occupational Therapy (OT)?

Community Occupational Therapists work within an interdisciplinary team to provide goal-directed care to support clients in maximising their independence and safety within a community setting. Service is generally based in the client’s home or community health centre in which they engage. OTs are located at the following Barwon Health sites:

• Belmont Community Health Centre
• Corio Community Health Centre
• Newcomb Community Health Centre
• Surfcoast Community Health Centre

People living in the community with a disability, chronic medical condition and/or a recent change to their health or living circumstance.

What services are provided?

OTs may recommend equipment, modifications or techniques to make it easier and safer for clients and/or their carer to complete everyday tasks that are important to them, for example:

• handrails in the bathroom and toilet
• ramps or handrails to help you go up and down stairs safely
• equipment to increase safety with activities of daily living
• wheelchairs, mobility scooters and other aids to help with mobility
• strategies to help reduce the risk of falling
• coping with fatigue or other symptoms of illness
• ways to help management of memory difficulties
• minimise risk of developing pressure injury

How to access this service?

Referrals may come from anyone including the family, doctor, specialist, yourself or other advocates for them.

All enquiries should be made through Community Health and Rehabilitation Services Information and Access on 03 4215 7700.