In Home Care, Occupational Therapy, Recruitment, Residential Aged Care

Why Occupation Therapist Teri Chose The Graduate Program At Empower

Posted on July 9, 2021November 27, 2023 by Nicole Cook

09
Jul

As a recently qualified Occupational Therapist deciding on where to apply for a job, I was looking for opportunities to learn and improve my skills. Empower Healthcare offered me a comprehensive New Grad program and extensive professional development opportunities that have given me the best start to my career.

I am being supported with

In person and online training.
Practical learning opportunities.
Professional Development time allocated within work hours.
Generous funding for external courses.
Formal and informal mentorship with experienced colleagues.
Working within supportive multi-disciplinary teams.

I have been able to work in Home Care and Residential Aged Care environments and split my time in a way that suits my life and interests, while experiencing professional autonomy within supportive teams.

Empower Healthcare is enabling me to find myself as a clinician, it can do the same for you.

What is Occupational Therapy?

The World Federation of Occupational Therapy defines Occupational Therapy as below.

“Occupational Therapy is a client-centered health profession concerned with promoting health and wellbeing through occupation… to enable people to participate in activities of daily life… by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement.” WFOT, 2012.

While many other people in the health industry are involved in the diagnosis of diseases, the occupational therapist’s role is about collaboratively setting and achieving meaningful goals.

About Empower

We Change Lives

At Empower Healthcare, we deliver life changing allied health services. Our whole team is dedicated to building and delivering exceptional services for clients, loved ones, referrers and partner organisations.

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 well-being.

We are a successful privately owned and operated organisation that continues to experience significant growth, driven by our fantastic services and family of professionals.

Empower healthcare is changing lives – yours could be next.

Join us to open the door to what is possible.

At Empower Healthcare we believe that our strength lies in our people. By building strong teams and supporting the professional development of our clinicians, we have established ourselves as a national Allied Health provider that raises the standards of clinical practice in Home Care, NDIS and residential aged care.

Every day we deliver high quality, innovative allied health solutions across Australia. We have opportunities for clinicians looking to develop at all career stages, from newly graduated to well established therapists wanting to lead in:

Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Nursing
Podiatry
Dietetics
Osteopathy
Massage Therapy

Fastrack Your Career

Discover the possibilities with mentoring, career planning, on-line and in-person learning modules, extensive New Graduate program and external professional development. We look within for promotion to leadership roles and develop our own people to grow our business.

Work, Your Way

Create true balance with work hours that work for you, flexible leave arrangements and low stress environments.

Be Valued

We offer competitive salary packages that grow as you do and acknowledge your unique strengths and contributions.

Join the Team

Experience the satisfaction that comes from being a part of multidisciplinary teams, focused on delivering the best outcomes for the people we care for, while learning from each other.

If you’re interested to see how we can help open the door for your next career move, click on the link to learn more.

View current job opportunities

…

Continue reading →

In Home Care, Occupational Therapy, Recruitment, Residential Aged Care

Amanda’s Enjoys Career Progression As An Occupational Therapist At Empower

Posted on July 8, 2021November 27, 2023 by Nicole Cook

08
Jul

Empower has amazing occupational therapists and Amanda Chan reflects on her career progression and journey at Empower.

When I joined Empower Healthcare four years ago as a newly graduated Occupational Therapist, I was looking for positions close to home and support to develop as a clinician. Today, I am a Team Leader supporting other clinicians to grow and thrive, just like I did.

Empower has encouraged my professional development and given me leadership and managerial opportunities, while supporting me to return to work after maternity leave, twice!

I love being able to balance work and home life with

Flexible, family friendly work hours.
Leadership opportunities and career progression.
Varied opportunities within Home Care, NDIS and Residential Aged Care.
The ability to work from home when possible.
Internal and External professional development in my areas of interest.

I love the clients and residents I work with and being part of the team that makes the environments I work in healthy and happy for everyone.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Working as an Occupational Therapist, I often get this question, “What is occupational therapy?”. The World Federation of Occupational Therapy defines Occupational Therapy as below.

“Occupational Therapy is a client-centered health profession concerned with promoting health and wellbeing through occupation… to enable people to participate in activities of daily life… by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement.” WFOT, 2012.

While many other people in the health industry are involved in the diagnosis of diseases, the occupational therapist’s role is about collaboratively setting and achieving meaningful goals.

Amanda explains, “Whether it be helping a person with selecting a chair that can help them stand because they have difficulty standing from their couch or introducing a person to a bath lifter to help them enjoy a bath again, I always feel a sense of satisfaction when seeing the joy on people’s faces as they successfully engage in these simple yet meaningful activities again.

About Empower

We Change Lives

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 well-being.

We are a successful privately owned and operated organisation that continues to experience significant growth, driven by our fantastic services and family of professionals.

Empower healthcare is changing lives – yours could be next.

Join us to open the door to what is possible.

Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Nursing
Podiatry
Dietetics
Osteopathy
Massage Therapy

Fastrack Your Career

Work, Your Way

Create true balance with work hours that work for you, flexible leave arrangements and low stress environments.

Be Valued

We offer competitive salary packages that grow as you do and acknowledge your unique strengths and contributions.

Join the Team

Experience the satisfaction that comes from being a part of multidisciplinary teams, focused on delivering the best outcomes for the people we care for, while learning from each other.

If you’re interested to see how we can help open the door for your next career move, click on the link to learn more.

View current job opportunities…

Continue reading →

Announcements, In Home Care, Osteopathy

How Osteopath Callan Reid Helps Clients Achieve Their Health Goals

Posted on July 7, 2021November 27, 2023 by Nicole Cook

07
Jul

Osteopath Callan has helped a diverse range of people across private practice, home care and recently residential aged care. He actively listens to and works collaboratively with consumers to develop targeted treatment plans to overcome pain and injury, supporting them to reach their healthcare goals.

I draw on the guiding principles of Osteopathy – that the body is a whole in which structure and function are interrelated, and under optimal conditions the body possesses inherent self-healing capacity.

Callan believes it is the job of the therapist to provide a path for that person so they might enjoy a state of health. As an Osteopath, Callan can help consumers achieve their health goals through use of:

Gentle or deep soft tissue techniques
Joint mobilisations
Strength and mobility exercise prescription
Falls prevention and balance training
Habitual and lifestyle changes
Pain management and complex care
Collaborative care with other allied health professionals.

He graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Remedial Massage (Myotherapy) in 2007 and practiced eight years in a variety of clinical settings. Callan decided to further develop both his diagnostic and manual skills, graduating from Victoria university with a Masters of Health Sciences (Osteopathy) and a Bachelor of Clinical Sciences (Osteopathy) in 2017.

In addition to working as an Osteopath, Callan is also a clinical educator helping to train the next generation of Myotherapists. In his free time, Callan is a student of functional/mindful movement who enjoys rock climbing, calisthenics, and handstand training. A nature lover, he enjoys camping, hiking and spending time with his dog, Spectre.

Empower has a team of incredibly talented Osteopaths ready to help your clients get moving, feel better and get back to what they love doing most!

Click Here to learn more about Osteopathy

The Empower Difference

Changing Lives Through Exceptional Care

We pride ourselves in the delivery of innovative, high-quality, allied health solutions that constantly evolve to exceed the needs of your clients and their communities. Our service model integrates five service commitments that empower you to help your clients improve their sense of self-identity, quality of life, and ability to live safely in their environment.

Extensive service offerings
Care provided by highly skilled clinicians
A team approach to delivering continuity of care
User friendly referral process
Superior reports providing clarity on future care needs.

Click on your relevant health care industry sector below to learn more.

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

Simply click on the image below for our referral form.

…

Continue reading →

Professional Development, Recruitment

Why James Enjoys Working At Empower Healthcare

Posted on June 23, 2021July 9, 2021 by Nicole Cook

23
Jun

When I joined Empower Healthcare after 9 years in private practice, I didn’t know how much working in home care would change my life. The freedom of being on the road, working in different environments and having a varied case load was a welcome change from spending 6 days a week inside at the same 4 walls.

I have the opportunity to perform real rehabilitation with real outcomes that really make a difference from helping someone learn to stand up and walk after years of being in a wheelchair to helping a father reach his goal of walking his daughter down the aisle, and surpass it, by dancing at the reception at her wedding.

For me, achieving work life balance is vital and Empower Healthcare helps me to do that by:

Guaranteeing steady income, independent of case load.
Ensuring great working hours and flexible leave arrangements.
Not expecting overtime and weekend work.
Allowing me to work independently but supporting me when I need it.

Working within a supportive team that prioritises my professional development and respects my professional autonomy and personal goals means that I enjoy going to work every day and building a career that allows me to live life, my way.

Empower healthcare is changing lives- yours could be next.

Join us to open the door to what is possible.

Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Nursing
Podiatry
Dietetics
Osteopathy
Massage Therapy

Fastrack Your Career

Work, Your Way

Create true balance with work hours that work for you, flexible leave arrangements and low stress environments.

Be Valued

We offer competitive salary packages that grow as you do and acknowledge your unique strengths and contributions.

Join the Team

Experience the satisfaction that comes from being a part of multidisciplinary teams, focused on delivering the best outcomes for the people we care for, while learning from each other.

If you’re interested to see how we can help open the door for your next career move, click on the link to learn more.

View current job opportunities

…

Continue reading →

Announcements, Residential Aged Care

Participation in Pain Assessment Clinical Trial

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Nicole Cook

22
Jun

We have been participating in the Australian Government‘s 12 month national clinical trial of the PainChek® pain assessment tool for residential aged care providers. The Federal Government invested $5 million in April last year for the 12 month trial to promote innovation in the sector and support improved care and pain assessment for people living with dementia or other cognitive impairments.

The medical device is in the form of an App for smartphones and uses artificial intelligence to assess pain levels in residents who are unable to communicate, including those with dementia. The information is assessed and recorded within the app, providing the carer with essential information to facilitate the pain management process.

Empower’s team members have been reporting their findings on the practicality and accuracy of the device and assessment tool.

We collaborate with our healthcare clients to foster a research culture by investing in or participation of research opportunities focusing at improving performance on measures including elder mortality, quality of life, organisational efficiency as well as staff satisfaction and retention.

Click Here to learn more

The Empower Difference

Changing Lives Through Exceptional Care

Extensive service offerings
Care provided by highly skilled clinicians
A team approach to delivering continuity of care
User friendly referral process
Superior reports providing clarity on future care needs.

Click on your relevant health care industry sector below to learn more.

…

Continue reading →

Graduate Program, Professional Development, Recruitment

Jovita Shares her Reflection on Empower’s Graduate Program

Posted on June 21, 2021November 27, 2023 by Nicole Cook

21
Jun

In February 2021, I started my career as a graduate occupational therapist at Empower Healthcare. As you can imagine, Home Care clients have found dealing with the pandemic very challenging, especially those who live alone. I had a client who had been discharged from the hospital and her daughter was very distressed as she could not visit her during lockdown. Initially, the client was guarded and anxious. By actively listening to their story and concerns, I was able to identify the fall risks and provide suitable options and recommendations that were received with relief and happiness in reducing their fears around falling, while increasing quality of life.

I realise that my role as an occupational therapist can be more important and influential than I once thought. It is very rewarding when clients thank me with a big sincere smile! I now know that being an occupational therapist is one of the best decisions I have made.

Empower’s Graduate Program

The foundations for a bright career!

How does our program work?

Empower Healthcare’s comprehensive graduate program offers personal development and mentoring, to successfully transition you from a student into talented clinician. Here’s how it works:

12 month structured program
Individual development plan & goal setting
Weekly 1:1 mentoring
Monthly online professional development courses
Monthly clinical development workshops
Quarterly company-wide professional development & social events
Quarterly progress report
$1,500 yearly professional development allowance
Grad year completion bonus

Highlights:

$1500 PD fund

We provide all graduates with a $1500 professional development fund, which can be used to attend events of your choosing, to help you further your skills and development.

Mentoring and quarterly progress reports

Our grads have access to weekly 1:1 mentoring. Every three months, you and your mentor will discuss your progress in working towards your development plan and goals.

Company-wide professional development and social events

Every three months we have an Empower family reunion, which involves an evening of professional development and social activities to bring our team closer together.

Learn about our graduate program in more detail.

Click Here for our grad flyer

We accept graduates all-year round. Call 03 9068 3739 to talk to a member from People and Culture about our national grad opportunities.…

Continue reading →

Occupational Therapy, Professional Development, Recruitment, Uncategorized

A Day in the Life of a Home Care Occupational Therapist

Posted on June 17, 2021November 27, 2023 by Nicole Cook

17
Jun

Ever wondered what a day in the life of a home care occupational therapist is like? We go behind the scenes with occupational therapist Catrina Mastroianni, to explore what a typical day looks like and answer a few questions that you may have about becoming one.

Mornings:

My alarm goes off at 6am, giving me usually 2 hours before starting to work, to be able to get some morning exercise in. I either spend my mornings before working going to the gym or walking my dog. I then begin to get ready for work, having a coffee and looking over my schedule and tasks for the day. This usually means, looking at my appointment times, where I’ll be going, and who I will be seeing. I also check over the referral notes to find out more about my clients and the reason I am going to see them. Usually, my first appointment is at 8:30 or 9am, however if it is a later start, I will usually spend my time completing some admin tasks in the comfort of my own home office.

Travel:

Empower ensures that my clients are as close as possible to my own suburb, being anywhere from a 5-minute to a 30-minute drive. However, longer drives also allow me to have some relaxing time in the car, listen to my favourite artists new album or even listen to a podcast.

Client Appointments:

As an occupational therapist, I have a range of different types of client appointments, ranging from initial appointments to follow ups, equipment trials or builder consults. My client load for the day, will usually vary depending on what type of appointments I have throughout the day. Empower has a range of diverse clients, from NDIS funded to HCP funded, allowing clinicians to have multiple learning opportunities with a range of different clientele with different conditions, needs and goals.

The reason I enjoy community / home care OT is because the home and community are two important environments for an individual. It is always interesting to see how individuals are within their home environment and I enjoy the problem-solving involved in making them safer at home. This often means liaising with equipment providers and builders to find adaptive technology or performing home modifications for the client.

For Example, 78-year-old Ellen with a level 4 HCP, has had multiple falls in her bathroom due to not having enough space to use her 4WF. This often means Ellen has to leave her 4WF outside the bathroom and navigate through the bathroom by holding onto different items. This makes Ellen a falls risk in the bathroom, especially with the slippery tiles. Ellen’s goal is to be able to shower and go to the toilet independently minimising the falls risk. Ellen’s old-style bathroom had minimal room between the shower, toilet and bathtub making it difficult to navigate, which makes Ellen feel extremely anxious about falling on the slippery tiles. A joint builder consult was completed with a friendly building team, who were able to come and assist with a plan for Ellen’s new bathroom. The new plan allowed Ellen to have more space to be able to use her 4WF within the area and also reduced the slipperiness of the tiles. This meant Ellen’s goal was achieved, leaving her overjoyed that she could perform important ALDs independently and bring her 4WF into the bathroom to increase her safety.

Team Meeting:

Every afternoon, the new graduates have a daily debrief that allows us to discuss the day that we had and discuss any questions that had come up throughout the day. While we do chat regularly throughout the day on a team’s chat, it is also nice to attend the meeting while doing our works, to be able to have that office like support and social interaction when working from home. It is also a great way to get to know the other new graduates and learn from some of their experiences.

Empower’s Graduate Program

The foundations for a bright career!

How does our program work?

Empower Healthcare’s comprehensive graduate program offers personal development and mentoring, to successfully transition you from a student into talented clinician. Here’s how it works:

12 month structured program
Individual development plan & goal setting
Weekly 1:1 mentoring
Monthly online professional development courses
Monthly clinical development workshops
Quarterly company-wide professional development & social events
Quarterly progress report
$1,500 yearly professional development allowance
Grad year completion bonus

Highlights:

$1500 PD fund

We provide all graduates with a $1500 professional development fund, which can be used to attend events of your choosing, to help you further your skills and development.

Mentoring and quarterly progress reports

Our grads have access to weekly 1:1 mentoring. Every three months, you and your mentor will discuss your progress in working towards your development plan and goals.

Company-wide professional development and social events

Every three months we have an Empower family reunion, which involves an evening of professional development and social activities to bring our team closer together.

Learn about our graduate program in more detail.

Click Here for our grad flyer

We accept graduates all-year round. Call 03 9068 3739 to talk to a member from People and Culture about our national grad opportunities.…

Continue reading →

Professional Development, Recruitment

Why Hongyi Enjoys Working for Empower Healthcare

Posted on June 17, 2021November 22, 2023 by Nicole Cook

17
Jun

Hongyi is a valued member of our Occupational Therapy Team and reflects on why he enjoys working for Empower Healthcare.

I have always been passionate about building strong, positive relationships with clients and helping them to live independent and happy lives. For me to do that requires constantly expanding my knowledge and experience. Empower Healthcare has helped me grow every step of the way with:

A culture of teamwork
Emphasis of professional development
Mentorship and support
A multidisciplinary approach to client care
Career goal setting

For me, work/life balance is vital. My job allows me to do what I love while having time to exercise, relax and continue to develop other parts of my life. When an opportunity for further study arose, my managers supported me in reducing my work hours to allow me time to study and attend uni.

Having the freedom to reach my personal and professional goals means that I enjoy coming to work every day!

Empower healthcare is changing lives- yours could be next.

Join us to open the door to what is possible.

Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Nursing
Podiatry
Dietetics
Osteopathy
Massage Therapy

Fastrack Your Career

Work, Your Way

Create true balance with work hours that work for you, flexible leave arrangements and low stress environments.

Be Valued

We offer competitive salary packages that grow as you do and acknowledge your unique strengths and contributions.

Join the Team

Experience the satisfaction that comes from being a part of multidisciplinary teams, focused on delivering the best outcomes for the people we care for, while learning from each other.

If you’re interested to see how we can help open the door for your next career move, click on the link to learn more.

Learn more

…

Continue reading →

Announcements, Dietetics, Home Nursing, In Home Care, Massage Therapy, NDIS, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry

Our team can help manage Diabetes

Posted on June 10, 2021November 11, 2024 by Nicole Cook

10
Jun

Many chronic conditions like Diabetes, require more than 1 or 2 allied health team members for good management. Diabetes is an example of a complicated condition where an assessment may reveal the need for referral to a few members of the multidisciplinary team.

Here are a some of the ways that the various professions can help people managing Diabetes.

Nurses

Nurses monitor blood sugar levels and assist with medication management. They also manage the general health of people, including the comorbidities that are common in people with Diabetes, such as high blood pressure, kidney disfunction and eye disorders.

Dietitians

A well-managed diet is a cornerstone of diabetes care. Dietitians can develop individualized meal plans that take the tastes and preferences of people into account, while ensuring that blood glucose levels remain stable.

Podiatrists

Foot care is an essential part of care for people who are struggling to manage their sugar levels. Podiatrists ensure the correct footwear, nail care and skin management of the feet to prevent ulcers and ingrown toenails.

Physiotherapists

Diabetes can result in various complications that reduce mobility and having input from a physiotherapist to promote strength, balance and endurance can improve the independence and health outcomes of people with diabetes at any stage of the disease.

Occupational Therapists

Unfortunately, some of the health consequences of diabetes can result in disability requiring relearning and reablement for some of life’s vital activities of daily living. OT’s can provide rehabilitation to improve the function of people managing some of the more serious effects of diabetes and assist with the adaptions that homes may need to make living independently at home possible and enjoyable.

Massage Therapists

Along with the benefits of relaxation and improved well-being, massage may also be useful in managing the painful neuropathies that occur in people with diabetes. Combined with the effects on circulation and stress relief, massage therapy is an important adjunct to other therapies in the management of diabetes.

If your client is not on top of their diabetes care plan, let Empower Healthcare bring together the expertise and skills of different allied health professionals to support your client in management of their complex condition.

The Empower Difference

Changing Lives Through Exceptional Care

Extensive service offerings
Care provided by highly skilled clinicians
A team approach to delivering continuity of care
User friendly referral process
Superior reports providing clarity on future care needs.

Click on your relevant health care industry sector below to learn more.

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

Simply click on the image below for our referral form.

…

Continue reading →

Graduate Program, Occupational Therapy, Professional Development, Recruitment, Uncategorized

Emma, Occupational Therapist Reflects on Empower’s Graduate Program

Posted on June 7, 2021November 27, 2023 by Nicole Cook

07
Jun

“I knew that Occupational Therapy was a broad field, however I didn’t realise how diverse it can be until working in the community. I feel privileged that I am able to help client’s remain safe and independent, and reach their goals through the interventions and recommendations I give.” Emma Austin, 2021 OT Graduate.

I started with Empower Healthcare in January 2021 as a part of their Graduate Program. I was worried having just graduated from university that I would be thrown into the deep end. However, since I have joined Empower, I have never felt more supported throughout my entire journey.

A moment that has stood out to me was during one of the shadowing sessions with my mentor. We completed a joint session with the client’s family and carers to teach them how to correctly and safely complete hoist transfers. It was a great session, and throughout we were all having fun and laughing. The client had a smile on his face the entire time. My mentor was very happy at the end of the session, as in previous meetings, the client was always quiet and appeared sad. It was a great feeling to know that we were able to make the client smile.

Empower’s Graduate Program

The foundations for a bright career!

How does our program work?

Empower Healthcare’s comprehensive graduate program offers personal development and mentoring, to successfully transition you from a student into talented clinician. Here’s how it works:

12 month structured program
Individual development plan & goal setting
Weekly 1:1 mentoring
Monthly online professional development courses
Monthly clinical development workshops
Quarterly company-wide professional development & social events
Quarterly progress report
$1,500 yearly professional development allowance
Grad year completion bonus

Highlights:

$1500 PD fund

We provide all graduates with a $1500 professional development fund, which can be used to attend events of your choosing, to help you further your skills and development.

Mentoring and quarterly progress reports

Our grads have access to weekly 1:1 mentoring. Every three months, you and your mentor will discuss your progress in working towards your development plan and goals.

Company-wide professional development and social events

Every three months we have an Empower family reunion, which involves an evening of professional development and social activities to bring our team closer together.

Learn about our graduate program in more detail.

Click Here for our grad flyer

We accept graduates all-year round. Call 03 9068 3739 to talk to a member from People and Culture about our national grad opportunities.

…

Continue reading →