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Category Archives: Community

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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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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Announcements, Community, nursing

A day in the life of an Empower Nurse

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Nurses Blog Briony Web FINAL
10
May

Our Empower Nurses spend their days visiting clients in their homes and delivering gold standard care and services.

Join Registered Nurse Briony for her day in the community.

 

7.30am:

I have a full schedule today, so I open my iPad and read through my clients notes, referrals and other documentation via the client management system. Planning my day helps me be prepared for each client. I check that I have all the equipment and consumables needed and then I am out the door.

8am:

Luckily my first appointment takes me past my favourite café and I grab a coffee.

 

8.30am:

My first client likes me to be early to help her change her catheter and for medication management so that she can get on with her day. Good catheter care is essential to prevent infections and improve the quality of life for clients. We chat while I work. Getting to know my clients and talking to them is one of the favourite parts of my job. Once I’m finished, I make sure she has the supplies and advice needed until I next visit which I confirm with her and book it in.

9.30am:

My second appointment is a regular client who has slow healing wounds. I have been visiting her for some time now, and we have made some great progress. All Empower nurses undergo extensive training and professional development in wound management, so I am equipped with the latest knowledge and dressings to improve healing for my client.

 

11.00am:

I arrive in a Bayside suburb with time to spare so I find a car park overlooking the bay and catch up on my notes and follow up emails on my iPad before heading to my next client. On assessment, I realise he isn’t doing well and we have the difficult discussion that it may be best to head to hospital to get further investigations done. He hates going to hospital, but agrees he needs to go. This client lives alone, and doesn’t have anyone who can drive him, so I organise non-emergency patient transport. I spend the time to call his next of kin, his GP and his case manager who are all supportive of him going in. I don’t want to leave him while we wait for transport as he is anxious about going to hospital. I liaise with his Case Manager who is also supportive and organises for his normal support worker to head over and wait with him.

12.30:

Lunch time and I pop into head office to pick up some consumables and complete some CPD training at one of the desks. I catch up with colleagues and have a conversation with my manager about a client management challenge I have been having.

2.00pm:

It’s a short drive to my next appointment who is booked for an initial assessment. This involves getting to know the client and completing a comprehensive overall nursing assessment. Sometimes new clients need referrals for allied health services or additional supports. We have a longer session than usual but I know spending the extra time is what he needs to ensure that he keeps receiving the care that ensures his quality of life and independence.

4.00pm:

I arrive home to complete all today’s documentation, send emails to my clients’ care and case managers and organise any follow up tasks.

Tomorrow I will be seeing different people with different needs – no two days are the same. I love the flexibility and variety of being an Empower Nurse. It also helps being backed by experienced nurse managers, a friendly Home Care Support Team and being equipped with all the technology, knowledge, and equipment to deliver the care needed.

Empower Nurses are on the road every day, delivering great care and outcomes.

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Announcements, Community, Dietetics, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy

An innovative approach to delivering Allied Healthcare to remote WA

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Kojonup road trip images 1 scaled
28
Feb

Kojonup: An innovative approach to delivering Allied Healthcare to remote WA

Working together as an integrated team, Empower Healthcare clinicians and Residential Aged Care Facility Springhaven relished the opportunity of in-person collaboration to care for residents despite their remote location.

Kojonup is a town situated 250km Southeast of Perth with a population of little over 1000. Therefore it’s not surprising that the town’s only aged care facility struggles to procure Allied Health locally in order to meet compliance and care standards.

In total WA has only 22 Speech Pathologists per 100,000 of population, and nationally and only 17 per 100,000 in remote regions.

With demand far outstripping the number of allied health clinicians in remote and metropolitan WA areas, Springhaven Lodge in Kojonup was one such facility.

Springhaven Lodge contacted Empower Healthcare West Perth office for Dietetic, Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy services. The challenge of providing these services in the most cost-effective, efficient and sustainable way fell to the team of our Perth based clinicians who understood that an innovative approach to service delivery would be needed.

Empowers interdisciplinary team of Speech Pathologist, Dietitian and OT’s set about developing an understanding of the unique requirements of the facility. They brainstormed the best method of delivering high quality healthcare and the best possible outcomes for the residents and staff. In collaboration with the facility manager, it was decided that a combination of telehealth and in-person assessment, intervention and training was the best approach.

A well planned and outcomes-based trip was organised for the team, who understood that efficiency and efficacy were key when time is limited. During their first day at Springhaven, the clinicians conducted menu audits, individual and process assessments, IDDSI training and implementation and staff training.

 

Working together as an integrated team, Empower and Springhaven staff relished the opportunity of in-person collaborative care for residents and implementing sustainable interventions and care plans. With ongoing bespoke telehealth and onsite support, Springhaven residents are now receiving the high-quality care they deserve.

We look forward to a building relationship with Springhaven and its residents and bringing this approach to other remote Residential Aged Care facilities in the future.

 

 

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Announcements, Community, Dietetics, Home Nursing, In Home Care, NDIS, nursing

Living life to the full after Ostomy surgery

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Ostonomy web banner
23
Jan

How Empower Nurses and Dietitians can help with Ostomy management

 

Nurses and Ostomy Care

While many people with a stoma or ostomy can independently care for themselves, there are times when some extra help is required. This may be when adjusting to living with an ostomy, when experiencing illness or when managing additional health conditions or disability. Empower nurses provide general ostomy management and support for people who need it. They are fully equipped for ostomy care and carry emergency kits.

As part of delivering high quality nursing services, our Nurses provide:
• Ostomy bag changes
• Assessment of stoma and skin health
• General assessment of health, including monitoring for digestive problems
• Referral to Stomal Therapists if complex care is required.

 

Dietitians and Ostomy Care

It is possible for people with an ostomy to eat a full and satisfying range of foods. In fact, eating real food after surgery can help the digestive system to begin functioning again. However, learning what foods are easiest to digest, how a person’s body is responding to certain foods and how to maintain good nutrition following surgery can require the input of a Dietitian.

Dietitians can help people:
• Manage low appetite following surgery
• Ensure adequate nutrition and energy levels
• Develop meal plans that are enjoyable and nutritious
• Make dietary adjustments when necessary
• Monitor dietary intake, digestive health and stoma output
• Manage additional health conditions, like diabetes and hypertension
• Choose and use supplementation appropriately.

For in-home, professional care while recovering from surgery, living with a chronic condition or when managing life’s unexpected health challenges, let Empower take care of your health needs.

Click to read more about our Nursing and Dietetic Services

Catheter management

Medication management

Wound care

Nutrition and the Immune System

 

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Announcements, Community, Home Nursing, In Home Care, NDIS, Wellbeing

Continence Management with Empower Nurses

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Continence ax web
13
Jul

Continence Assessments

 

 

Incontinence is a very common condition affecting 1 in 4 Australian adults.

The good news is that there are many ways that both bladder and bowel leaks and accidents can be treated and managed. With the help of nurses and other health care professionals, your clients can continue to live an active and independent life with dignity.

 

How we can help

Our nursing services involve support in the management of bladder and bowel control problems. We offer discreet services that aim to preserve dignity, reduce stress, and help people regain confidence so they can participate in daily activities and get you back to enjoying life.

Our support

We will take the time to fully assess your client and understand the challenges they face. We will conduct a Level 2 Basic Continence Assessment and then develop personalised plans and strategies to suit the persons lifestyle and goals.

Our Multidisciplinary Team support

Whilst our nurses provide continence treatment, they also have access and work closely with a large team of Allied Health therapists that can also provide additional continence care and intervention.

Dietetics

Our Dietitians assist with:
• urinary incontinence by monitoring fluid intake and providing recommendations for other bowel management strategies. Clients experiencing urinary incontinence tend to restrict fluid intake and this can contribute to poor health through dehydration and increase the occurrence of constipation.
• faecal incontinence by recommending a modified diet that can alleviate the urgency of bowel motions as well as assist clients with implementing a diet that will help with the frequency and consistency of bowel motions.
*Dehydration is a great risk in this group of clients.

Physiotherapists

Our Physiotherapists assist with:
• improving a client’s mobility and function so that they can access facilities in a timely manner
• utilise their continence aids safely.
• improve balance and coordination to assist with independent toileting
*We don’t have any specialist continence physios.

Occupational Therapists

Our Occupational Therapists assist with:
• routines based interventions – working on toileting routines
• strategies such as visual prompts and social stories to support understanding, reinforce routines and reduce anxiety
• understanding their sensory systems and interoception, so the person understands the body’s signals of when they need to go to the toilet.
• working towards independence with assistive technology eg. over toilet seats or commodes, Clothing adaptations
• educating clients family and formal supports.

Management depends on the type of incontinence, its aetiology, the severity of symptoms, as well as the consumers factors such as cognition, functional status and medical history. Our nurses have the clinical background and experience to advise options for suitable treatment approach for each individual to match their lifestyle and keep them at home longer.

Click to read more about our Nurses

Catheter management

Medication management

Wound care

 

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Announcements, Community, In Home Care, NDIS, Occupational Therapy

Empower welcomes Heather to our NSW Occupational Therapy Team

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Heather NSW OT blog
07
Jun

Heather NSW OT

We are pleased to welcome Heather to our NSW Occupational Therapy Team

Heather is a confident and meticulous Occupational Therapist who enjoys finding person-centered solutions that empower clients to live their most independent, active and fulfilling lives.
Having worked in NDIS home-based settings as well as in work place environments, Heather has a holistic view of rehabilitation, inclusion and access issues faced by people at home, in communities and at work.
With experience in Functional Capacity, Sensory and Housing assessments, Heather also brings established therapy skills in capacity building, rehabilitation, assistive technology prescription and home modifications for clients in a variety of settings including school, homes and clinics in Sydney.
She says:
I am excited by the diverse nature of Occupational Therapy. I enjoy meeting new people, hearing their stories and helping them find meaningful activity and purpose to improve their quality of life and achieve their personal goals.
When not at work, Heather loves spending her time with friends and family exploring new places, eating great food and indulging in her best relaxation activity – watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race!

 


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Announcements, Community, Home Nursing, In Home Care, NDIS, Wellbeing

At home catheter care provided by Empower Nurses

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Catheter care blog banner
01
Jun

It is possible to live an independent and active life with a catheter and Empower’s nurses are ready to help clients and their families.

Our nurses are trained to deliver best practice catheter care with dignity to help people maintain the life they are accustomed to.

Our skilled nurses are fully trained to deliver care for all three types of catheters:
• Male
• Female
• Suprapubic

For people who rely on catheters, having a routine to care for the catheter is an important part of living a full life without the common complications that a catheter use can cause. Empower nurses deliver person centred, individualised catheter care to every client beginning with a comprehensive assessment at home.

Our nurses assess the level of support, education and care needed and work with clients and their families to set goals and develop management plans to suit their individual needs.

Good catheter care starts with good nursing care.

Our catheter care routines help users:

Reduce Urinary Tract Infections

By regularly emptying bags and performing hygiene activities like good hand washing, people who use catheters can reduce the likelihood of infection. Developing habits of adequate water consumption can also help to reduce bacterial infection risk and keep the system functioning optimally.

Eliminate Leakage

Regular emptying of bags is necessary to reduce the chance of overflow leakage. Having established fluid consumption routines can also help with the management of urine output.

Avoid Kidney damage

Reducing the load on the kidneys by allowing complete bladder voiding protects kidney function.

Live a full life 
A well-established routine can allow people who rely on catheterisation to lead full and active lifestyles with the freedom to work, travel, exercise and socialise knowing that their bodies are well cared for.

Having a plan and support is vital for developing routines when taking care of a catheter system. Our experienced nurses help people to ensure the best care for their catheters while meeting their lifestyle needs and goals. After all, catheterisation should allow people to focus on the things in life that really matter and enable them to live life their own way.

 

Click to read more about our Nurses

Medication management

Wound care

 

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