Announcements, Community, Home Nursing, In Home Care, Medication Management, NDIS, Pain, Wellbeing

The role of Nurses in medication management

Posted on September 29, 2021October 29, 2021 by Nicole Cook

29
Sep

250 000 Australians are hospitilised each year due to problems relating to medicine use, and many more are not experiencing the full benefits of the medicines prescribed to them due to mistakes made in how they take their medication – Nurses can assist with medication management.

When used correctly, medicines can prevent serious illness and improve health and wellbeing, but the positive and powerful effects of medications can also carry risks when not used properly.

Home Care Nurses play a key role in assisting people to manage and obtain the maximum benefit from their medicines, safely and conveniently, in their own homes. With their extensive pharmacological and clinical knowledge, nurses can provide the right amount of support to suit each person’s unique circumstances. They do this by providing the following care and services:

Assessment
Nurses supporting people with medication management conduct thorough assessments to determine the needs of their clients.

Education
Nurses play a vital role in educating people about the medicines they are taking, the dosages and timing of administration.

Monitoring
The aim of good medicine management at home is to maintain independence through the self-administration of medicines where possible. Nurses can help by monitoring the use of medicines and determining if there are any issues with administration.

Intervention
Home Care nurses can help people and care givers with practical ways of scheduling, planning and administering medication as independently as possible.

Communication and referral
When issues arise related to medication, nurses can reach out to dispensing pharmacists, GP’s and specialists in order to optimise medicine use.

Good medication management means creating as much independence and self-management as possible with the support needed to ensure that clients receive better, safer and more convenient care where they want to be – at home.

About Empower

We Change Lives

Empower Healthcare is a national allied-health service provider and partner with Home Care package providers, NDIS plan managers & Aged Care organisations to deliver life changing allied health services. We offer a full-service platform from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, dietetics to osteopathy, massage therapy and most recently, home nursing services and pride ourselves in the delivery of high-quality therapy solutions, value packed services and responsive ethos.

It is a very exciting time with Empower Healthcare building on the success of its Victorian operation and now expanding nationally into NSW & WA. With a growing team of 100+ clinicians, we provide over 1,500 treatments every day and service more than 100 healthcare organisations. Building on this strong foundation, we are well positioned and committed to delivering exceptional care.

Our therapists genuinely care about the people we work with and take the time to build strong relationships that holistically improve social, physical and mental wellbeing to live happier and healthier lives.

How To Get Clients Started With Our Home Care & NDIS Services

Simply click on the image below for our referral form.

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Announcements, Community, Dietetics, Foot Care, Home Nursing, In Home Care, Occupational Therapy, Pain, Physiotherapy, Podiatry

Follow the gold standard in wound care

Posted on August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 by Nicole Cook

24
Aug

A Team Approach to Wound Care

On any given day, half a million Australians are living with a poorly healing or chronic wound. These wounds can be very difficult to live with and manage as they are often in hard-to-reach areas of the body and can impair mobility and independence. Examples of chronic wounds include leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers and pressure injuries.

Research has shown that a multidisciplinary approach is the gold standard in preventing and managing wounds and the pain, disability and loss of independence that they can cause. Each clinician brings skills and expertise, with the shared goal of maintaining and improving quality of life.

Nurses

Assess for risk factors that can lead to chronic wounds.

Assist in the management of underlying health conditions that can cause hard-to-heal wounds.

Assess wounds to determine the best treatment approach.

Treat- including cleaning, applying pharmaceuticals and dressing wounds.

Refer for additional care when required.

Podiatrists

Perform wound assessments on the foot, ankle and leg at every visit.

Are the cornerstone of diabetic foot care.

Ensure correct footwear to reduce pressure injury and falls related wounds.

Dietitians

Understand that good, balanced nutrition is the first step in preventing chronic wound formation.

Assess for the nutritional causes of chronic wounds, including poorly managed blood glucose and malnutrition.

Create meal plans that ensure adequate nutritional intake to prevent wounds and aid healing.

Physiotherapists

Assess for risk factors that can lead to chronic wounds.

Intervene with rehabilitation programs to reduce risks of falls, loss of mobility and poor circulation.

Assist with pressure care by implementing pressure relieving strategies.

Occupational Therapists

Perform assessments of clients and their environments for wound risk factors.

Reduce the risk of wounds by assisting with adapting homes to be safer and easier to move around in.

Recommend pressure preventing and relieving equipment and accessories.

Provide therapy that assists clients function safely and independently in their homes and communities.

By determining the unique needs of each client, an individualised treatment program can be developed that includes the health care team members best suited to providing the most effective treatment for the management of chronic wounds- promoting healing, health and vitality.

Here’s 4 reasons why you should place wound care at the heart of client care.

Click to Download Infographic

References

http://www.aushsi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Chronic-Wounds-Issues-Paper-20-Oct-2017.pdf

https://www.qut.edu.au/institute-of-health-and-biomedical-innovation/about/news/news?id=145230

About Empower Healthcare

We Change Lives

Changing lives is what we do.

Delivering high quality allied health services is how we do it.

Empower Healthcare was founded in 2016 by two people who were determined to improve the standards of allied health services in residential aged care and knew how to do it. With industry knowledge and an innovative approach, Adam and Matthew set about defining what allied health services can be when quality and person-centred care is placed before all else in healthcare.

The partnership, that merged clinical expertise with business acumen, soon established Empower Healthcare as a leading provider of quality physiotherapy services in residential aged care facilities in Victoria. This success fueled the expansion of our services within residential aged care, home care and NDIS to deliver occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nursing, podiatry, dietetics, osteopathy, massage and speech pathology.

Now offering comprehensive allied health services with more than 180 dedicated and passionate clinicians working in Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, Empower Healthcare is growing and taking our unique approach with us.

A lot has changed over the years but not our commitment to the highest quality care, delivered by expert clinicians, aimed at improving the independence and quality of life of our clients- helping our clients live their lives the way they want to.

How To Get Clients Started With Our Home Care & NDIS Services

Simply click on the image below for our referral form.

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Announcements, Community, Equipment, In Home Care, Massage Therapy, Pain, Shoulder, Wellbeing

What your clients can expect from a home massage

Posted on August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 by Nicole Cook

17
Aug

Home massage offers the power of touch whilst assisting accelerated healing, induce relaxation, reduce pain, and provides general comfort for the receiver. During a time when human contact and interaction have been drastically reduced due to social distancing requirements a home massage can help. This ancient evidence-based therapy is more vital than ever in addressing the needs of people who have limited mobility and are isolated while managing chronic conditions at home.

Highly Trained Health Care Professionals

Empower massage clinicians are highly trained health care professionals who use a therapeutic approach to massage. They offer a broad range of individualised massage treatments chosen to accommodate the mobility status, preferences and needs of the people they see at home.

Our clinicians bring their own equipment with them and can massage the client on a massage table, on their bed, or in high supported sitting with a range of relaxing oils and creams, or the personal products preferred by the client.

Benefits of Home Massage

Decreased depression and agitation, resulting in feelings of wellbeing and comfort.

Many people are anxious about massage until they have one and experience the benefits that this therapy can bring, including;

Relaxation of muscles and soft tissue that have become tight and shortened due to postural changes and decreased activity.
Reduction in pain caused by common conditions such as osteoarthritis and lower back problems.
Improved circulation leading to decreased swelling and improved lymphatic function.
Decreased depression and agitation, resulting in feelings of wellbeing and comfort.

Living independently does not have to mean living in isolation and in pain. Massage therapy can be a powerful tool in improving the quality of life of people who struggle to access services and supports outside of their homes and who wish to continue living life the way they want to, where they want to.

Click here to learn more about our remedial massage service offerings.

How To Get Started With Empower

To arrange a referral, click on the image below

About Empower Healthcare

We Change Lives

Changing lives is what we do.

Delivering high quality allied health services is how we do it.

The partnership, that merged clinical expertise with business acumen, soon established Empower Healthcare as a leading provider of quality physiotherapy services in residential aged care facilities in Victoria. This success fuelled the expansion of our services within residential aged care, home care and NDIS to deliver occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nursing, podiatry, dietetics, osteopathy, massage and speech pathology.

Get Clients Started With Our Home Care & NDIS Services

Simply click on the image below for our referral form.

…

Continue reading →

Children, Mobility, Muscle Function, Pain, Posture

Is your child’s schoolbag too heavy?

Posted on March 1, 2019November 20, 2023 by Nicole Cook

01
Mar

With the Holiday period coming to an end most parents are looking forward to their kids going back to school. But before the fun begins most parents find themselves making one last dash to the shops to make sure everything’s ticked off the back to school supplies check list – including a school bag. But how often do we stop and think about the importance of a school bags size and weight?

We’ve put together this simple checklist of considerations to reduce the physical stress on children’s bodies

Make sure the total weight of the bag (including drink bottles and lunch boxes) does not exceed 10 per cent of the child’s body weight i.e. a child weighing 40kgs should have a bag weighing no more than 4kgs
Bag heights and widths are also important – the picture below features a general sizing guide
Try backs made from lightweight materials

Make sure the bag has adjustable shoulder straps and encourage children to use both shoulder straps instead of just one to help evenly distribute the weight – I know one strapping is cooler but there’s nothing cool about a sore back!
Bags with padded bags are preferable
For High School kids that have to carry heavy textbooks and computers try a back with wheels so that the backpack can be pulled rather than carried
Wheels so that the backpack can be pulled rather than carried
Always pack the bag with heavier items first, that weigh (pun intended) heavier items are closer to the body’s centre of mass and their is more load on the stronger leg muscles than back

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Neck, Osteopathy, Pain, Physiotherapy, Posture, Thoracic Spine

Upper Cross Syndrome – Are you a victim?

Posted on February 15, 2019November 20, 2023 by Nicole Cook

15
Feb

In today’s day and age many of us spend hours on a computer, tablet or phone and are falling victims to Upper Cross Syndrome, but what actually is it?

Upper cross syndrome is a muscular imbalance commonly seen in those with an office based job, drive for long hours, bike riders or people who are frequently on their phones. The muscular imbalances cause a forward neck posture and rounded shoulders resulting in a lot of stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulder and upper back. Specifically, the upper traps, levator scap and pectorals muscles become tight and overactive, while the deep neck flexors, lower traps and serratus anterior become weaker. The condition gets its name from the “x” shape that develops when regions of overactive and underactive muscles overlap.

The upper crossed syndrome often compromises scapular function, causing neck strain and pain, thoracic stiffness, shoulder pain, headaches or migraines. The muscle deficiencies result in poor posture in the upper body and can often result in lower body chain reactions, resulting in lower back pain.

Exercise and manual therapy is important to maintain good posture and hinder muscular deficits. Exercises that may be considered include scapular setting, deep neck muscle training and pectoral stretching ensure coordinated and synergistic function of these muscle groups. Manual therapy has also been proven to aid in pain relief and improve function.

If this sounds familiar then get in touch with our team to book an appointment with one of our Physiotherapists, Osteopaths or Massage Therapists to see what they can do for you.…

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Muscle Function, Pain, Physiotherapy, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine

Shoulder Pain: Where is it really coming from?

Posted on February 8, 2019November 20, 2023 by Nicole Cook

08
Feb

One of the common causes of shoulder pain is scapulohumeral dysfunction. The shoulder is one of the most complex joints in your body – it relies on the synergistic movements of 4 different joints around you shoulder. The four joints are :

– Glenohumeral joint

– Acromioclavicular joint

– Sternoclavicular joint

– Scapulothoracic joint

It is important to identify the scapulohumeral deficiencies to allow smooth and coordinated movement. Dysfunction of the scapulohumeral junction is often the underlying cause for rotator cuff injuries, bursitis, adhesive capsulitis, impingement etc.

Once your physiotherapist has identified which part of the shoulder complex is deficient, the appropriate exercises and treatment will be prescribed. Talk to one of our team members to have a physiotherapist complete an assessment and treatment plan for you!

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