We are very excited to announce the introduction of home nursing services for Home Care packages & NDIS participants.
Enjoy a full-service platform, where you can experience and benefit from our responsive service promise across all care professions.
Easily manage your client portfolio by using our streamlined processes that digitally capture your requests, quickly schedules appointments and receive timely reports without needing to chase or follow-up.
Access our national office qualified nurse support member to answer enquiries on short and long-term care needs of your respective clients and any queries you may have surrounding transition.
And have peace of mind knowing we have carefully selected our nursing team to ensure they maintain our exceptional care service standards and have been screened and police checked to provide your clients with the highest nursing competence and safe care.
Nursing Service Solutions
We will be offering a wide range of nursing services involving:
Clinical Assessments
Medication Management
Wound Management & Skin Integrity
Continence Management
Diabetes Management
After Hospital Nursing Care
Mobility Equipment Purchases
Nursing Service Coverage
Our nurses will be available from 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Nursing Service Geography
We will initially be servicing the South-East region of Victoria.
This area ranges from Brighton down to Mornington and east across to Beaconsfield.
Suburb listing
Below is a comprehensive listing of the suburbs we will cover.
We are getting a lot of interest in other areas too, so to help us identify meeting your nursing area needs, please register your interest by sending us an email and we will update you when we release our second stage in extending our geography coverage.
As we come to the end of OT Awareness Month, we would like to introduce Anju, our OT Home Care Team Leader. Anju brings over 11 years’ experience in occupational therapy to Empower Healthcare and her extensive background from rehabilitation to private practice means Anju is perfectly suited and equipped to support her team in a wide range of occupational therapy services to help consumers build their independence and achieve sustainable therapy outcomes.
I love seeing the smile on my client’s face when they receive new equipment or learn new ways to participate in activities that, they thought were long behind them. Independence is everything. I love giving that to people
When did you join Empower?
February 2020
Why did you choose Empower?
I am excited about teaching OT skills and improving services to customers. Adam and Matthew embodied these same values during the interview which made it easy to choose Empower.
What do you love most about your job?
I love how I can help client’s achieve their goals and develop their skills. It is always a challenge in identifying the right strategy for each client. It is always invigorating to work with them to find the best approach which helps them achieve their goal.
What has been your most memorable moment?
The best moment for me has been where I helped a client develop their fine motor skills by playing cards.
In what ways has Empower supported your growth personally & professionally?
In the past few months, Empower has given me the freedom to develop OT programs and professional programs to improve the skills of all therapists.
In your new role, what will you be looking to achieve in 2020?
This year, I hope to set up a uniform standard of practice for all OTs to practice.
What piece of advice would you give your new graduate self?
To avail of every opportunity for professional development. It’s not just the courses and theoretical classes that develop a therapist’s skills but also practical sessions with senior therapists. It helps to attempt a new referral/ treatment program even if you have nil to limited experience as it only improves your knowledge and skill.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Out of the workplace, what are your interests and hobbies?
Out of the workplace, I am usually very much restricted to my daughter’s various activities. I enjoy dancing and participate in cultural activities when they come up. I love reading, mostly thrillers and crime and I believe Agatha Christie is the best author in the genre.
Employment at Empower Healthcare
Love your work
We are recruiting!
Do you share our passion for exceptional care?
We are searching for clinicians that want to keep their finger on the pulse of a thriving industry.
We offer a highly competitive package; flexible working arrangements, annual professional development program, subsidised external PD courses and paid study leave, above award remuneration, plus other benefits.
We recognise the importance of healthcare professionals taking every measure to help protect the health and well being of our clients and themselves in light of the continuing spread of COVID-19.
And we support the expert medical advice that everyone aged six months and over should be vaccinated against influenza this year, and every year, to protect themselves and the community.
Empower Healthcare is acutely aware that from 1 May 2020, all aged care workers and visitors must have been vaccinated against seasonal influenza to enter an aged care facility.
So, in alignment with the decisions made by the National Cabinet, we have updated our Influenza Vaccination Policy mandating all Empower Healthcare employees visiting clients in residential aged care facilities and in the community, to have up-to-date (i.e. 2020) vaccinations against influenza by 24 April 2020.
Employees will be required to provide evidence of this vaccination to Empower Healthcare by Friday 24th April 2020, in the form of:
Statement or record from a health practitioner
Immunisation history statement available from Medicare online or the Express Plus Medicare Mobile app
And we will provide all clients with clinician certification by Thursday 30th April 2020.
An email with our updated Influenza Vaccination Policy has been sent to all clients. If you would like a copy, please call the national office on 03 9583 1364.…
With it being April Falls Month, it is timely that we understand the importance of falls prevention by exploring the physical, economical and labour costs associated with falls in aged care.
Falls are a major cause of harm to older people and fall-related injuries impose a substantial burden on the health and aged care systems. Additionally, falls resulting in injury or hospitalisation can lead to a reduction in both length
and quality of life. Research has shown that many falls can be prevented. Aged Care facilities need to evaluate the cost of pro-active ‘prevention’ or care intervention strategies designed to prevent falls among residents in comparison to the significant out-lay and burden of costs associated post falls.
The Landscape of Falls in Aged Care
Falls are a significant cause of harm to older people, so significant that the rate, intensity and cost of falls identify them as a national safety and quality issue in Australia. Every year, approximately 30% of Australians older than 65 years, 1 in 2 residential aged care residents, 70-80 % of people with dementia fall (Nitz&Choy, Climacteric 2008).
In older people, up to 30% of falls can result in moderate to severe injuries and falls are the leading cause of injury related hospitalisation in Australia (About 125,000 cases of hospitalised fall-related injury occurred in Australia in 2016–17). Nearly 50% of those hospitalised after a fall die within one year. In fact, fall related injuries account for 1 in 3 hospitalised injury cases and 1 in 5 of all fatal injuries, they are the most common cause of injury related death in people aged 65 and older.
“These figures show that falls cause more injury related deaths in Australia than transport crash fatalities.”
The cost to the health system due to fall-related injuries is major and is estimated to be 4 billion dollars per year nationally. AIHW’s 2015–16 Disease expenditure study
Besides economical costs to the health system, at an individual level falls lead to:
Loss of confidence and fear of falling
Reduced activities and participation
Loss of independence
Increased care needs
The hip and thigh are the most common injured areas in both men and women sustaining a fall and head injuries are also common. Hip fractures are one of the most common reasons for hospital admissions, with the majority (91%) caused by falls. Hip fractures have a high rate of death and morbidity, they require emergency surgery and 50 % of patients with hip fracture will not fully recover and will not return home.
The First Stage in Falls Prevention
Screening should occur as soon as possible, even before a resident steps foot into the facility. The admissions and intake team should be armed with a series of questions that flag someone’s risk factors and status to ensure strategies and interventions are in place as soon as, if not before, the resident arrives.
The Second Stage in Falls Prevention
Review and Implement is about ensuring that both the resident and fall are comprehensively assessed. Once completed interventions should be implemented or amended to prevent falls of the same nature occurring again in future.
The Third Stage in Falls Prevention
Analyse & Implement is when you review monthly, each fall or near-miss incident report. A Falls committee generally comprised of the Facility Manager, Clinical Care Coordinator, Allied Health Professional (Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist) and Falls Champion (designated member of the care team) meet to review the reports and discuss any other relevant information from a multidisciplinary perspective and collate valuable data such as: fall by – cause, location, mobility status, time, injury, stay type and room location to form the foundation of the macro and trend analysis.
How Can Your Empower Team Help Your Facility With Falls Prevention?
Empower’s Aged Care team have developed a proven falls prevention success model for Aged Care
“We implemented our 3 step process with a client & it resulted in a 34% ROI in the form of reduction in number of falls from the previous quarter.”
At Empower, we assess every resident comprehensively and recommend falls prevention strategies proactively without waiting for a fall to occur. Our allied health professionals form an essential part of the facility’s clinical team in managing falls. We also assist facility staff in identifying any injuries without having to arrange for further medical investigation procedures by conducting post fall reviews.
Here is a list of falls prevention services available to your organisation:
Transfers/mobility/gait/coordination/balance/endurance assessment, strategies to improve and recommendations for staff and resident safety, aids e.g. gait aids
Proprioception and spatial awareness assessment and strategies to improve
Muscle strength and range of movement/flexibility testing, strategies to improve/aids, exercise programs
Reaction time to external perturbations and strategies to improve and also arrangement/assistance recommendations for safety
Environment assessment, strategies to maximise independence and prevent falls and related injuries
Assistive devices in falls prevention – Sensor alarms etc.
Protective equipment/garments
Behaviour issues and management strategies
Want to Reduce Falls in Your Aged Care Facility?
Download our 3 Step Guide To Successfully Reduce Falls In Your Facility Now!
Simran joined the Empower family in Feb to establish our WA team to deliver our world class service across 2 Aged Care Facilities. Simran’s natural team leader qualities, such as compassion. integrity and leadership skills are inspiring and is quickly building trust and respect within the team. We can’t wait to follow the next phase of her role; introducing our Home Care services to the Perth community.
When did you join Empower?
February, 2020
Why did you choose Empower?
I was introduced to Empower through Adam during the Christmas break regarding the upcoming
opportunities in Perth. I was very intrigued and excited as this was a leap into expanding my career
along with Empower’s in Western Australia, which has until proved very rewarding.
What do you love most about your job?
I’m extremely glad to be able to help the geriatric generation in the last resort of their life in aged care:
by providing freedom of mobility, pain management, falls prevention as well being able to connect
with them personally on a daily basis. I have learnt a lot by communicating with them, reliving their
experiences through their stories and my 10 years of working in aged care have proven as a major
learning curve within my life.
What has been your most memorable moment?
Being an Overseas Trained Physiotherapist, the most memorable moment in my career would have to
be when I was able to practice as a Physiotherapist in Australia, by getting registered through AHPRA.
My passion has always lied within Physiotherapy and Neuro Rehab, as I believe that Physiotherapy is a profession that gives life to the years, rather than just years to life!
In what ways has Empower supported your growth personally & professionally?
Being given the role of management position is a new professional journey for me. Throughout these
first two months I have been challenged with different situations that were before unfamiliar to me,
helping me expand my person and professional expertise.
Empower has provided me with great leaders, such as Adam, Matthew and Donna as well as a great
team of staff who have and continue to support me with my smooth transition into this new role. I
have been provided with ongoing guidance on how to better my personal as well as professional skills.
In your new role, what will you be looking to achieve in 2020?
I would love to help expand Empower by opening multiple sites throughout Western Australia,
opening new opportunities within the aged, home and community care sectors.
What piece of advice would you give your new graduate self?
Listen to your instincts to thrive as a person as well as in your career! Take a chance at all opportunities, they will in one way, or another help expand your knowledge and
skills!
Tell us a bit about yourself. Out of the workplace, what are your interests and hobbies?
I am of Indian decent, I moved to Australia almost ten years ago with my husband. Since then I have
been blessed with two little terrors, an elder daughter 7 years old and younger son 2 years old who
are my lifelines!
I love to stay connected with my extended family in Perth, spending time with them as much as I can.
I love to travel, though really value my downtime with a cup of tea and good Bollywood movie with
my husband.
Employment at Empower Healthcare
Love your work
We are recruiting!
Do you share our passion for exceptional care?
We are searching for clinicians that want to keep their finger on the pulse of a thriving industry.
We offer a highly competitive package; flexible working arrangements, annual professional development program, subsidised external PD courses and paid study leave, above award remuneration, plus other benefits.
We know a lot of you are doing your bit during these challenging times – social distancing & self isolating… whatever you’re doing, we are grateful for your contribution! We also know that it’s quite easy to fall into the habit of sitting for long periods as we’re cooped up in our homes. That’s why we want to share with you some tips on how to keep moving in your home. Movement and physical activity is essential, especially during these trying times, to keep our immunity and mental well-being up! Better still, studies have shown that staying active in your senior years can add 5 years to your life.
1. Don’t stop moving!
Functional decline can happen very quickly. Just remember, if you don’t use it, you lose it! Walking around your backyard is a good start (& you don’t need a big back yard to do this!). 30 minute walks are recommended, but you can break it down into 10 minute walks, 3 times a day.
2. Maintaining your strength
Strength can decline very quickly. No need to go to clinics for exercises, you can do them in your own home. Exercises along the kitchen bench are usually recommended. While you’re in the kitchen, grab 1L milk cartons or your canned foods to use as weights, one in each hand and lift them above your head – that’s one of the many ways to build your shoulder strength. It’s that simple!
3. Maintaining your respiratory health
We know that COVID19 affects your respiratory system. Did you know that Physios are the experts in respiratory health? We can provide exercises to improve lung and airway function – this can be simple as walking up and down the stairs!
4. Keeping your flexibility
Stretching is also essential especially when your body is in one position for prolonged periods of time – stretches in bed or on the couch, especially for your hips, neck and back as they usually under most stress when sitting for too long!
Introducing TeleTherapy Services
At Empower, we can do all this, from a distance! We have introduced TeleTherapy services for people that are self-isolating, are unable to have face to face appointments due to their health or feel uncomfortable with a face to face appointment.
This means we can help you with the points mentioned above – without needing to physically be there! Our new service model will enable continued therapy services without direct contact that will keep you and your family safe from COVID-19.
Click below to learn more or call us on 9583 1364 for more details on our new TeleTherapy service approach.
“Our promise: We respond faster. Whether it’s our short waiting lists, same day reporting or simple referral process, you can rest assured that your client is in the best hands.”
We have listened to our clients and they don’t have the time to micro-manage their portfolio. They want to partner with someone that is reliable and dependable with transparent pricing structures.
Adam Gilroy Smith, CEO reveals, “Empower has grown by 100% over the past year based on our service model across Home Care, NDIS and Residential Aged Care. By listening to our clients and the challenges they face, we adapt, stay well positioned and respond fast to deliver exceptional care. The launch of our new service model is another example of Empower Healthcare’s ability to be agile in a rapidly changing environment.”
How To Get Clients Started With Our TeleTherapy services
Existing clients – Call 03 9583 1364 to discuss.
New referrals – Simply click below to complete our referral form.
Click here for the article by Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) that confirmed the status of allied health professionals as an ‘essential service’.
TeleTherapy service model is now available for Empower Healthcare clients.
This additional service delivery option underpins today’s confirmation that ALL allied health services are considered an ‘essential service’ by the Australian Minister for Health and the Federal Minister for Health, The Hon Greg Hunt.
Empower’s TeleTherapy service will help our community stay healthy and independent during this situation, it also will reduce isolation and offer the ability for those most at risk to stay safe whilst remaining connected to their valued services.
All our services will continue to be provided in person where possible. Empower Healthcare is taking the risks associated with COVID-19 seriously and have introduced many precautionary measures to protect consumers and our team during Home Care & NDIS visits, including Pre-Screening all Home Care & NDIS clients prior to visits.
In addition, our new TeleTherapy service is available immediately for the following services:
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Osteopathy
Dietetics
In our TeleTherapy model, clients can choose between; using their own device – smartphone, tablet, PC, and we will supply an email with a single link to start a video call.
For those clients that do not own a device, or find it hard to use technology, Empower will supply a sanitised device on the day of treatment.
Our TeleTherapy service is perfect for people that are self-isolating, are unable to have face to face appointments due to their health or feel uncomfortable with a face to face appointment.
Call us on 039583 1364 for more information and pricing on our TeleTherapy service option.
“Our promise: We respond faster. Whether it’s our short waiting lists, same day reporting or simple referral process, you can rest assured that your client is in the best hands.”
We have listened to our clients and they don’t have the time to micro-manage their portfolio. They want to partner with someone that is reliable and dependable with transparent pricing structures.
Adam Gilroy Smith, CEO reveals, “Empower has grown by 100% over the past year based on our service model across Home Care, NDIS and Residential Aged Care. By listening to our clients and the challenges they face, we adapt, stay well positioned and respond fast to deliver exceptional care. The launch of our new service model is another example of Empower Healthcare’s ability to be agile in a rapidly changing environment.”
How To Get Clients Started With Our TeleTherapy services
Existing clients – Call 03 9583 1364 to discuss.
New referrals – Simply click below to complete our referral form.
Click here for the article by Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) that confirmed the status of allied health professionals as an ‘essential service’.…
Empower Healthcare has been on the front-foot since the early COVID-19 developments and have created a detailed Business Continuity and Operational Plan.
How has Empower Healthcare Been Preparing?
We are committed to the safety of our clients, consumers and team members and our Operational Plan details the increased measures we have taken across our organisation and those we plan to take should the Pandemic progress. This plan was shared electronically with our clients yesterday. Please contact national office on 03 9583 1364 if you would like a copy of this communication.
We will be in regular communication with you all throughout this crisis, at this point we would like to communicate the following key advice:
Currently there are no cases of COVID-19 within the Empower Healthcare team
All Empower staff have undertaken a refresher course on Hand Hygiene and Infection Control in response to COVID-19
Our teams are being provided with additional PPE to further minimise risk
We have issued our internal COVID-19 policy which ensures that any at-risk staff do not attend and will require medical clearance prior to returning to work
Will all of Empower’s Services Be Maintained?
Yes. As healthcare providers, we recognise that we provide an invaluable service to Residential Aged Care, Home Care and NDIS clients, and as such, have taken the following additional measures to ensure clients, consumers and team members health and safety comes first.
Residential Aged Care:
Some of our clients have asked us how we will ensure that we provide our full service throughout the outbreak process. We’d like to reassure you that at Empower Healthcare, we have taken several measures to ensure that we maintain a healthy and viable workforce across all of our client’s facilities. In addition, we have moved to increase our workforce including adding to our casual bank.
In some cases our clients have moved to voluntary lockdown. In these cases, we’d like to reassure you that as an essential part of the operation, Empower will continue to provide services in conjunction with providers.
Home Care/ NDIS:
Currently the advice is to maintain Home Care Services as these offer key supports to the community, including physical support and vital access to equipment.
As we are all aware, the people we all work with are some of the most vulnerable with a higher risk of infection and will continue to require our services in order to stay safe and healthy at home. Therefore, we are taking every possible precaution to ensure that we can continue to provide our services to them safely.
How are employees managing infection control and consumer safety?
Empower Healthcare are undertaking the following precautions:
Education on Infection control and hand hygiene is offered to all consumers as part of our service
Pre-screening of all clients prior to visit – currently undertaken by clinicians prior to entering house. Should the pandemic progress to the next phase, pre-screening will be undertaken each day for all visits by our Head Office team.
A Home Care specific education module on precautions around COVID-19 has been provided to all staff
Strict Infection Control and PPE measures such as; WHO 5 moments of hand hygiene and sneeze/cough hygiene, use of gloves, as well as thorough and regular cleaning of equipment before and after each treatment.
Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) packs have been prepared for clinicians which contains examination gloves, hand sanitiser, soap dispenser paper towel and bars of soap.
If a customer is feeling sick?
It is very important that Empower Healthcare is informed if a customer becomes unwell, particularly if they have been receiving support services during the 14-day period before becoming unwell. This is especially important if you have symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat or tiredness.
If you develop symptoms including a fever and cough you should isolate yourself immediately and urgently seek medical attention. It is very important that you do not continue with Empower Healthcare’s services while you are unwell.
What will happen if a customer or staff member has COVID-19?
Staff
In line with government guidelines, employees will not attend work and will alert management as soon as possible if they meet any of the following criteria:
Within the last 14 days, travelled to/from China, Iran, South Korea, Italy or any other country with heightened travel advisories in place in relation to COVID-19
Have been in contact with anyone who has travelled overseas in the past 14 days
Are experiencing a fever or any respiratory illness;
Have tested positive for COVID-19; or
Have been instructed to self-isolate by a public health official
If Empower Healthcare becomes aware of a team member positively confirmed with COVID-19. National office will then notify the relevant healthcare organisations, clinical care managers, case managers, consumers, carers and other team members that may have been in contact.
In regard to Home Care Services, all future treatments will be re-allocated and case managers, consumers & carers will be notified.
Empower Staff members will not return until they have a medical clearance.
Customer
If a customer has contracted COVID-19 and we have been notified by the healthcare organisation, management will ask for any clinician that has been in contact with that consumer in the last 14 days, to go into self-isolation.
Customers who have contracted COVID-19 will not be able to return to receiving Empower Healthcare services until they have a medical clearance.
Current Business Operational Status
As part of our Operational Plan, Empower Healthcare’s national office will now be reduced to a skeleton team, with the other team members continuing to work from home. As the pandemic progresses, all national office members will follow suit.
Our service platform utilises cloud-based technology platforms, so we can easily continue business from any location.
All contact points stay the same. You can contact the Home Care Services Support Team on 03 9583 1364 or via email, info@empowerhealthcare.com.au.
Contact Points
If you need more information or have a specific question, you can contact:
Here’s a quick video we have taken today that we encourage to share with your colleagues.
As you know infection control is vital across all areas of care, particularly in light of the risk of further outbreaks of COVID-19 in Australia.
Correct hand hygiene techniques are a key component of infection control. In the video Donna and Leah cover how to properly wash and sanitise your hands. This is a timely reminder and relevant for everyone, from care workers in aged care and home care, to family members, friends and co-workers.
This refresher video demonstrates the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) hand washing and hand rubbing process as well as discussing the 5 moments when health-care workers should perform hand hygiene.
At Empower, all staff are required to undertake the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s Hand Hygiene training module, once completed the module provides certification. The link to the module is below if you would like to share it across your team.
Empower Healthcare is set to expand across Australia over the next three years, in response to their multi-state client’s needs. Adam Gilroy Smith, CEO explains “Our service model appeals to the growing and evolving healthcare market, where the consumers right of choice is now driving and re-shaping expectations.”
Empower was founded in 2016 and has grown organically to provide a comprehensive range of allied health services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, osteopathy, podiatry, dietetics and massage therapy.
Our Story
“Having worked alongside allied health companies in Australia for many years, it was clear that clinicians didn’t want to work in the aged care industry because they didn’t want to just tick a box… they wanted to make a difference.
It was this realisation that led to Matthew and I forming Empower Healthcare. By building an organisation that genuinely focuses on the quality of work by clinicians, driven by our focus on consumer outcomes, we have engaged clinicians, higher quality care and better results for our clients. It is these foundations that have led to the success we are experiencing today,” clarifies Adam.
Empower Healthcare services over 150 healthcare organisations across Victoria and now Western Australia, with over 90 clinicians delivering 31,000 + treatments per month to consumers receiving Home Care packages, NDIS funding or Residential Aged Care.
Western Australia
“It is a very exciting time with Empower Healthcare building on the success of its Victorian operation and now expanding nationally into Western Australia and Tasmania.” Adam continues, “A key client asked us to partner with them at their two aged care facilities in Perth, based on their experience of Empower in Victoria. Our Western Australian (WA) team have settled in exceptionally well and we look forward to growing the WA team base.
Home Care & NDIS
A major part of our national expansion plan is to offer Home Care & NDIS into every state. We have built our service model around responsiveness and this along with exceptional care, has led to us being a preferred partner to many healthcare organisations.”
Our Service Guarantee
“Our promise: We respond faster. Whether it’s our short waiting lists, same day reporting or simple referral process, you can rest assured that your client is in the best hands.”
We have listened to our clients and they don’t have the time to micro-manage their portfolio. They want to partner with someone that is reliable and dependable with transparent pricing structures.
Adam reveals, “Empower has grown by 100% over the past year based on our service model across Home Care, NDIS and Residential Aged Care. By listening to our clients and the challenges they face, we can adapt, stay well positioned and respond fast to deliver exceptional care.”
