Lifeworks Occupational Therapy Blog

What drew you to become an OT assistant (OTA)? I actually became an OTA by accident. I knew I felt at ease talking to strangers and had an ability to gain people’s trust and would relax in my presence in a short period of time. I originally wanted to work with families dealing with the dying of a loved one, support and guide them through this process, but found that that role did not exist.  My Aunty has her PhD in Nursing and she suggested the idea of me becoming an OTA. I have also been exposed to many environments, different cultures, and personalities and I have learnt how to be flexible in working with all types of people so I knew something people-centred would be for me. I felt comfortable in my own abilities to facilitate an environment in which people benefit from therapeutic input with a purpose. What is the difference between an OT and an OTA? Occupational Therapy Assistants are the eyes and ears for the Occupational Therapis...

As we approach the end of OT Week, it is important to remember the health and well being of our wonderful Occupational Therapists. OTs as well as our valued fellow health care providers offer services where the central focus is on giving to others. The clients’ health and well being is at the core of what we do. So it is essential that we also remember the health and well being of OTs and our health colleagues, to assist them in their roles supporting people, families and communities. Achieving better health outcomes requires a healthy, resilient and dynamic workforce. My experience is working as an Occupational Therapist in the Mental Health sector. Working in this area of healthcare has its privileges. As workers we are invited into someone’s life and often their homes to accompany them on their personal journey for a period of time. Sometimes this is just for weeks or a few months but often we can be asked to be present in the person’s life for 12 months or more. Relationships are f...

If you are an NDIS participant, you may have encountered funding in the core budget of your NDIS plan something called Low Level Assistive Technology. Assistive technology can help us to improve our independence in daily tasks and may include items such as shower chairs, medication reminding devices, emergency/falls pendants, speech to text software, and adaptive kitchen equipment. The NDIS has guidelines as to what can be purchased with this low-level assistive technology funding. The items must meet the reasonable and necessary criteria, relate to your NDIS registered disability, is a low-risk item, and costs under $1500 for general items, or under $750 for an electronic device. If you are uncertain if an item can be purchased through this funding in your NDIS plan, discuss this with your Occupational therapist or Allied Health Professional. The NDIS do not typically fund items that everyone may need in their day-to-day life such as heating and cooling devices, or laptops, considerin...

What drew you to a career in occupational therapy? I was a huge science nerd in high school and was so fascinated in how the workings of the human body, mix this with a childhood heavy in high level sport and I was naturally led towards a career somewhere in the sport/ health sciences. It was actually my mum who suggested OT as she thought it would give me a wide range of avenues to go down whilst staying in the health realm and I am so happy she did otherwise I probably wouldn’t have ended up in OT- honestly I had no idea what an OT actually was or did (which is not uncommon as I’ve very quickly learnt). As a fresh OT I always thought I would work with elite athletes or in the sports space, but with my own life experiences and experiences with my clients I’ve found myself more and more interested in the relationship between mental and physical health which is how I ended up at Lifeworks OT working with clients with chronic conditions. What do you find the most rewarding part of your j...

Mental Health Week commences on the 9th of October and the focus is “Mental Health Starts with Our Children”. From the moment we are born we start developing our mental health and well being. I’ve been curious when speaking to people about the concept of infant mental health and interested that they have laughed. One response was “What can you do for a baby’s mental health?!… is that such a thing?” The profile of mental health has definitely expanded to include the infant, from the day they are born. When an adult interacts and responds to a baby and later as children, they are assisting them to develop important skills like coping with a range of emotions and stressful events in the present moment as well as into the future. A baby is hard wired for social connection, they love interacting and being acknowledged. Eye contact, touch including skin to skin contact, smiling, talking at their face level, singing, talking, reading out aloud are all important for a child’s brain develo...