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Author Archives: Nicole Cook

Announcements, Community, In Home Care, Speech

Meet Community Speech Pathologist Sharon

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Sharon Speechie web
18
Mar

 

Sharon Speechie web

Passionate Speech Pathologist enjoys new challenges and assisting clients in the community.

Sharon joined Empower Healthcare to focus on working with adults and guiding students on placement, aligning with her career aspirations.

Her daily work is driven by the belief that communication is a fundamental human right, enabling interaction, self-expression, and identity.

The gratitude and positive feedback she receives from clients inspire and affirm the significant impact she is making on people’s lives.

Sharon works with Home Care and NDIS clients in Victoria’s North and West. Her scope of practice includes working with adults with neurological conditions and swallowing and communication disorders. Sharon empowers clients to improve their communication skills to help them actively engage in society to form meaningful connections.

Outside of work she prioritises physical and mental well-being by dedicating time to strength training and relaxing in an infrared sauna post-workout. Meditation is also essential to her to help find tranquility and mental clarity amidst a busy schedule. She is always eager to explore new ways to enhance overall well-being for both herself and the people she cares for.

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More about our Speech Pathology services

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Community, Multi Disciplinary Team

Massage & Chronic Pain: Knot Your Average Pain Relief

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Massage blog web
29
Feb

Massage blog web

In the world of healthcare, the power of massage therapy goes far beyond relaxation for older clients.

At our core, we believe in the transformative impact of massage on quality of life, promoting independence and providing care tailored to each individual.

In 2022, over 4 million Australians were living with chronic pain and the prevalence increases as we age, 80% are aged care residents. With an ever rapidly growing aged population, this number is increasing at a rapid rate each year.

Chronic pain is any pain that persists for more than 3 months.

The four most common sources of chronic pain include:

  1. Lower back – can be debilitating and restrict activity
  2. Cancer Pain – a common issue for individuals with advanced cancer.
  3. Arthritis Pain – often manifests as joint stiffness or swelling.
  4. Headaches – including migraines, cluster headaches, and tension headaches, are among the most prevalent chronic headaches.

The sensation of pain is the result of a series of messages that swiftly travel through the nervous system. Pain sensors activate in a specific area when experiencing an injury. These sensors transmit an electrical signal that progresses from one nerve to another until it reaches your brain. Your brain interprets the signal and sends a message to you, yelling, IT HURTS!

Our mission is to enhance the well-being of each person regardless of health status. By focusing on individualized care and empowering our clients to take control of their health and happiness, we aim to create a space where everyone feels valued and supported on their journey towards better quality of life. Our team is dedicated to providing the highest standard of care.

How does massage help sufferers of chronic pain?

  • Massage therapy for chronic pain decreases pain, tension, stress, enhances relaxation and improves range of motion.
  • Massage therapy is a non-invasive method used to manage chronic pain. While it’s not a cure for chronic diseases, when combined with physical activity and a treatment plan, massage can effectively reduce pain, alleviate stress, and positively impact the lives of individuals dealing with chronic pain over extended periods.
  • During a massage session, the temperature of muscles rises as blood circulation increases. This rise in muscle temperature enhances the flexibility and elasticity of tissues, allowing muscles to relax and stretch.

Experiencing the holistic benefits of massage therapy and discover the positive impact it can have on your overall well-being. Embrace the power of personalized care, independence, and quality of life as we work together to help you achieve your health goals. Your journey to wellness starts here.

SOME Massage Recording Post

​Get in touch if you think you or the person you care for would benefit from massage

 

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What your clients can expect from a home massage

Massage Lead with Olympic sized experience 

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Announcements, Community, Dietetics, In Home Care

Meet Kara: A Dedicated Dietetic Professional and Advocate

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Kara Dietititan
06
Feb

Kara Dietititan

Meet Kara: A Dedicated Dietetic Professional and Advocate

 

Kara is professional and passionate about nutrition; she is an active advocate for the dietetic profession and enjoys supporting Dietitians to realise their full potential to thrive in their careers.

 

She has gained a range valuable experience working with the elderly in residential aged care, rehabilitation settings, and in-home care in various settings working with Peninsula Health, Monash Health and Alfred Health

 

Kara recognises the importance of meeting people at their most vulnerable times and provides person-centred and individualized care that can improve their quality of life.
I am also passionate about supporting Dietitians to achieve their full potential and thrive in their careers. Sharing my passion for food with clients, their families, and caregivers is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.

 

When Kara is not working, she enjoys traveling with her family and discovering new places and foods with their favourite destination being Vietnam.

 

Kara will be the Dietetic Team Lead and will be seeing clients in South East Victoria. Welcome Kara.

 

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Eating Well on a Budget

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Community, Multi Disciplinary Team, Occupational Therapy

FALLS PREVENTION: falls don’t ‘just happen’ to older people

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Falls Prevention
28
Nov

Falls Prevention

Falls don’t ‘just happen’ and become more common and consequential as we age.

Falls are Australia’s number one cause of injury hospitalisation and injury related death representing 43% of injury hospitalisation and 42% of injury deaths​1.

In Australia, 30% of adults aged 65 and over will experience at least one fall a year. This age group were more likely to be hospitalised or die from a fall compared with other life-stages.​ This data is informed by our older Australians that present to hospital with an injurious fall​.

Unfortunately, the other ‘falls, slips and trips’ that happen at home are not always reported due to

  • ​​Fear of reporting​
  • Fear of losing independence​
  • Fear of institutional care​
  • Lack of confidence​

​Most hospitalised falls occur in the home and it’s up to the individual – their family and supports to assist.​ ​​The good news is fall CAN be PREVENTED. ​

​ Empower Multidisciplinary Team can help with

  • Improving confidence
  • Participation in balance and mobility exercises
  • Falls prevention assessment and interventions​
  • Gait, balance and functional training​
  • Strength and Balance Exercise​
  • ​Multifactorial interventions​
  • Home safety assessment & modifications ​
  • Foot health​
  • Medication reviews​
  • Continence​
  • Dizziness and vertigo​

 

MDT roles in falls prevention chart

Physiotherapists help with – Keeping Active, Strong and Independent2

 

  • ​Aerobic Physical Activity​
  • Muscle Strengthening​
  • Functional balance and strength training​
  • Replacing sedentary time with more physical activity​

 

OTs help with – Living safely and independently at home and in the community

  • Comprehensive clinical assessment
  • Hazard assessment​​
  • Hazard removal​
  • Adaptive equipment​
  • Task modification​
  • Education​
  • Shared decision making​
  • Awareness raising ​

 

How we can help?

The FROP (Falls Risk for Older People) is a useful resource flow chart to guide what we can do to prevent falls. 

 

 

 

Falls Prevention Webinar Recording SoMe

​Get in touch if you think you or the person you care for would benefit from a Falls assessment or assistance. 

 

RESOURCES

  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)- Falls in older Australians aged 65 and over 2019-2020​. Link: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/injury/falls​
  1. World Health Organisation WHO: Guidelines on Physical Activity and sedentary behaviour (2020)​. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)​
  2. NSW Ministry of Health – CEC website (Clinical Excellence Commission)​ https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/286700/CEC-Fall-Prevention-Flow-Chart-for-Community-Care-July-2015.pdf
  3. Falls Prevention Resources: NSW Government, Clinical Excellence Commission  Fall prevention – Clinical Excellence Commission (nsw.gov.au)

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Community, In Home Care, Massage Therapy

Massage Lead with Olympic sized experience 

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Natasha Web banner 1
20
Nov

Massage Therapy Team Leader with Olympic sized experience

Welcome Natasha Prendergast 

 

Natasha has been a practising Massage and Myotherapist for the past 12 years. She has worked with a lifespan of clients helping them improve their health, to live their best life. Natasha has a passion for leading dynamic teams to achieve optimal outcomes for clients and their families and is looking forward to leading the Victorian Massage Therapy team to achieve great things.

 

Natasha has spent numerous years working with Commonwealth and Olympic athletes on injury prevention, treatments, and rehabilitation programs. Travelling both within Australia and overseas leading teams of clinical staff in various settings has given her great insight into the importance and many aspects of Olympic level teamwork.

 

One of the most rewarding roles she has had to date was symptom managing palliative and aged care clients with terminal illnesses. Natasha led a team of 16 clinicians across four disciplines in Massage, Occupational Therapy, Music Therapy, MND Family support work. The interdisciplinary nature and collegiality of the work was both motivating and made going to work each day a joy for her.

 

Treating clients specifically for symptom management brings rewards to not only the client, but their loved ones who are so grateful for the care. I am passionate about leading and working with a team to create great outcomes for clients and their families and friends.

 

Natasha enjoys a work life balance, continuing to upgrade her industry knowledge, keeping fit at the gym, following live music events and spending time with her two Cavoodles, Chai and Murphy.

 

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Community, Exercise

Dementia and the Aging Brain

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Dementia and the aging brain
16
Oct

Dementia is the second leading cause of death in the general Australian population, with 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 living with this condition. 

Empower clinicians have the privilege of working with people with Dementia to support them and their families to live their best lives.

Educating the families and communities about the needs of people living with dementia allows a more dementia-friendly conscious society. 

Communities that take action to become dementia-friendly have: 

  • Less fear and a greater understanding of dementia 
  • Less stigma and discrimination 
  • More support and better systems for people living with dementia to live well in their community for longer 

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of conditions which effect the brain and its functions. It can affect individuals cognitively, physically and socially.  

The four most common types of Dementia people are diagnosed with are:  

  1. Alzheimer’s disease (60-80%)
  2. Vascular dementia (5-10%)
  3. Lewy body disease (5-10%)
  4. Frontal temporal dementia (5-10%)

Early warning signs  

  • Memory loss that effects day to day function  
  • Increasing confusion  
  • Reduced concentration  
  • Personality or behaviour changes 
  • Apathy, withdrawal or depression  
  • Cognitive decline  
  • Physical changes  
  • Loss of ability to do everyday tasks 

Not only does Dementia have cognitive effects, it also effects people physically and socially and in all aspects of life. This is why it is so important to ensure Dementia is managed by a comprehensive multidisciplinary team. Empower provides quality interdisciplinary collaboration and understanding about when a referral to another service is needed. 

Dementia and aging brain

 

 As well as the above it is important the client is seen regularly by a competent medical team often made up of a geriatrician, neurologist and various other psychiatric practitioners 

Further support networks  

  • 24-Hour help 1800 699 799  
  • Dementia Australia: www.dementia.org.au  
  • National dementia helpline – 1800 100 500  
  • Alzheimer’s Association: www.alz.org  
  • Local support groups   
  • Alzheimer association   
  • Lifeline Australia: www.lifeline.org.au  
  • 24 Hour help 13 11 14 or SMS 0477 13 11 14 
Get in touch if you think you or the person you care for would benefit from a Dementia assessment or assistance. And click the below image to watch our Dementia Webinar Recording.

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Palliative, Residential Aged Care

Conversations about end of life – our clinicians are prepared

Posted on by Nicole Cook
palliative values web 1500 × 800px
04
Aug

Palliative Care

Palliative care is more than just end of life.

Our bodies weren’t designed to live forever and death, whilst sad is inevitable for everyone. Empower clinicians are in a privileged role where they know their clients well, and can recognise changes as they near end of life.

Signs of deterioration in a client’s condition or behaviour can be a signal to start the conversation about end of life and dying. Our clinicians are trained to look for changes different to the persons norm. These conversations can be difficult and companies like PEPA help normalise the topic and remove the fear from emotionally difficult conversations.

PEPA is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and provides palliative care education and training. Our RAC clinicians attend the program to learn how to provide high quality and effective care to people in the final phase of life.

Listen to some outtakes from the program.

 

The WHO (2017) define palliative care as

“.. an approach that improves the quality of life of individuals and their families facing the problems associated with life-limiting illnesses, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and the treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychological and spiritual”.

 

The difference between palliative care and end of life care is;

  • Palliative is a holistic medical treatment regime over time. It ensures the best quality of life for anyone with a life limiting illness.
  • End of life – is terminal care.

 

There are different decline trajectories in palliative care and having an Advance Care Plan in place for all scenarios makes discussions easier during such an emotive time. The conversations include how and where the person wants to be treated and planning for anticipatory medications. These conversations set everyone on the same agreed path – the clients, the family, and the carers whilst taking cultural requirements into consideration.

 

 

Not everyone needs specialist Palliative care, our clinicians are trained to recognise and understand the stages. Each State and Territory have their own palliative care peak body team and our team can help with those contacts.

Our Empower Values closely align the values in palliative care, and they are part of everything our team do every day to improve the comfort care of our clients through all stages of life and death.

 

Our Values

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information and advice speak to one of our Empower clinicians or call PCAS directly: Home Page – Palliative Care Advice Service (pcas.org.au)

 

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Exercise, Physiotherapy

When to refer for cardio respiratory Physiotherapy

Posted on by Nicole Cook
CARDIO RESPIRATORY PHYSIOTHERAPY banner image
24
Jul

CARDIO RESPIRATORY PHYSIOTHERAPY banner image

Physiotherapists play an important role in managing pulmonary conditions through cardio respiratory Physiotherapy

According to the Lung Foundation, lung disease and cancers are Australia’s second leading cause of death and 1 in 3 Australians will be impacted by a serious lung condition in their lifetime.

Our Physios can help with cardio respiratory Physiotherapy. 

Colder weather and covid infections, especially for older people or those with existing conditions, brings signs of sick lungs which can include;
• Chronic cough  (eight weeks or longer for adults)
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Increased mucus production
• Pain or tightness in the chest when breathing

If you notice any of these symptoms refer to our Physios who can help with a process driven assess management approach
• Assess chest and lung function: auscultation, resp rate, resp quality, oxygenation, chest configuration and general health
• Manage acute and chronic conditions
• Provide hands on chest physiotherapy when needed
• Aid return to work and function
• Improve endurance, oxygenation and quality of life
• Assist with managing fatigue
• Develop strategies for living with lung disease, including domiciliary oxygen
• Maintain physical conditioning, balance and strength
• Educate clients, carers and family members about lifestyle modification to improve vitality.

Respiratory Physiotherapy treatments are designed to remove secretions and improve airway clearance and make breathing and functioning easier with aims to;
– Remove secretions
– Decrease work of breathing
– Promote lung expansion.
– Prevent lung collapse.
– Improve respiratory function
– Improve quality of life

Mother nature knows what she is doing by clearing airways and secretions with a good old fashioned cough BUT we can help the cough to be effective or assist when a cough is too weak to clear the chest through;
– ACBT and AD: breathwork combined with positioning.
– Positioning alone for oxygenation and best possible lung function
– Pulmonary Rehab after infection
– Strength and cardiovascular fitness
– Pain management
Physiotherapy aims to holistically improve all the function that our clients have lost through the infection itself, but also from the sequalae of prolonged convalescence and recovery.
Get in touch if you think you or the person you care for would benefit from Respiratory Physiotherapy.

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Community, In Home Care

Welcome NSW Relationship Manager, Kate O’Brien

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Kate OBrien Web
17
Jul

Welcome Kate to the NSW Relationship Manager role. Kate’s background in aged care brings insight into the changes we can make in people’s lives through person centred individual care.

 

Kate’s recent aged care experience as a strategic Account Manager for Allianz Partners – Home & Lifecare division provides a strong foundation to achieve the best outcome for clients and the people they care for through communication, honesty, and respect.

 

I value each relationship and strive to understand every client’s individual needs, and the results they desire. A commitment to each partnership is the focus every day.

 

With a strong ethos to make a difference, Kate looks forward to working with Empower Healthcare to change lives in a meaningful way and being part of the team and the NSW community to make this happen.

 

In her free time Kate has a passion for travel having visited all seven continents – don’t ask her for a favourite! She also enjoys theatre, reading, watching documentaries, and visiting Sunday food markets.

 

Welcome to the team Kate.

 

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