Author Archives: Nicole Cook

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

New leadership Occupational Therapy appointments bring a wealth of expertise

Posted on by Nicole Cook
NDIS OT Image
11
Aug

Empower Announces Two Leadership Occupational Therapy Appointments

Empower Healthcare has responded to the exponential growth in demand for quality Home Care and NDIS OT services by appointing two exceptional Occupational Therapists to leadership roles.

Alison Enticott has been appointed OT Manager, while Monica Leo comes on board as OT Quality and Development Lead. Alison and Monica will head up the OT team, ensuring that Empower leads the way in delivering high quality, person-centred occupational therapy services that expand with the changing care needs of the clients and communities we work in.

CEO Adam Gilroy-Smith welcomes them both to the Empower team

We are excited to have two amazing talents of the quality of Alison and Monica join us in these incredibly important roles. Alison and Monica are the best in the business, with an abundance of experience leading occupational therapy transformation and engagements at scale and galvanising cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional results. That combination makes them the ideal fit to drive our client partnerships as we grow our business across Australia.

In leading the national OT team, Alison brings together skills in people leadership, stakeholder management, strategic planning and mentoring skills to support each individual to reach their full potential. Alison draws on her broad range of experience having worked in inpatient rehabilitation and then private and public hand therapy practice early in her career. She subsequently worked in the areas of occupational rehabilitation, corporate health, health insurance, and life insurance within a range of management and consulting roles. Most recently Alison has led teams in community settings supporting people with disabilities through the NDIS to achieve their goals.

Monica will lead the personal and professional development of the team, communicating Empower Healthcare’s vision for continued high quality healthcare, developing complex strategies to build relationships with key stakeholders and delivering a clinical excellence framework that continuously improves the skills and confidence in improving outcomes of care and consumer experiences. Monica joins with a strong pedigree working in some of Australia’s most recognisable brands, including Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash University. Her experience gained from transdisciplinary, family-centred practice with paediatric private practice modelling and NDIS Group programs, will see Monica add her expertise to shaping the future of allied health support in Aged Care and NDIS.

Alison and Monica’s healthcare ethos aligns well with Empower, as Monica reveals
The thing I love about Occupational Therapy is that we focus on what matters to a person, not what is the matter with them. When people can do the things that are meaningful to them, it has so many positive benefits to their health and wellbeing. Occupational Therapy is all about celebrating the individual. It’s about focusing on what people can do and helping them navigate any barriers to them doing what they want to do and enjoy doing.
The senior appointments continue Empower Healthcare’s strong business growth and momentum in 2021 to now provide allied health support across the East Coast of Australia and in the west.

The Empower Difference

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 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.

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.

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

How To Get Clients Started With Our Services

Simply click on the image below for our referral form.

Referral on-boarding now completed online in minutes

 …

Continue reading →
Announcements, In Home Care, Physiotherapy

Allied Health Assistants – The key to unlocking your client’s package potential 

Posted on by Nicole Cook
AHA Block image
03
Aug

Make Your Plan Go Further With an Allied Health Assistant

At Empower, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to meet our client’s needs. With that in mind, we are launching a new Allied Health Assistant service. This service will help support our clients while optimising their available funds. This will allow for increased treatment frequency, extended multidisciplinary support or the use of their funds for other purposes.  

What is an Allied Health Assistant (AHA)? 

Allied Health Assistants are trained health care workers who work under the supervision of Physiotherapists and other health care professionals to support people who need regular therapy. 

What do Allied Health Assistants do? 

Allied Health Assistants work under the supervision of health care professionals to develop and implement high quality and effective interventions for clients who need regular and ongoing services.  Allied Health Assistants working with Physiotherapists can assist clients with exercise programs, mobility practice and functional task performance. 

How does the Empower Healthcare Allied Health Assistant Service work? 

Since July, selected Empower Physiotherapists have been working alongside a team of fully qualified and experienced Allied Health Assistants to identify clients who would benefit from goal-based therapy under the direction of an allied health assistant, freeing up funds for improved access to extended therapy, equipment and medical needs.  

Our Physiotherapists conduct comprehensive assessments and create treatment plans that are best practice and evidence based to be implemented by Allied Health Assistants during regular treatment sessions. All clients are regularly reviewed, and treatment programs adjusted to meet their changing needs. 

What is the benefit to clients of adding Allied Health Assistants to our services?  

Including the services of Allied Health Assistants for clients who require regular and ongoing therapy, reduces the cost of Physiotherapy services and frees up funds for additional care and therapeutic needs. Clients may be able to receive more frequent treatment or additional services with increased available funds.  

You can make the plan go further! 

By switching across to an Allied Health Assistant, you can optimise each plan by up to $1,517.23 within a three-month period.  Think of the additional health and wellbeing services that become a possibility at improving the independence and quality of life of your clients – helping them to live their lives the way they want to.   

Allied Health Assistant Geographic Coverage 

– Our team currently services these areas

– It is our intention to expand our Allied Health Assistant team across the greater Metropolitan region. We are seeking your expressions of interest for priority geographic coverage. Contact your relevant Relationship Manager by email to inform them of preferred suburb coverage.  (Refer below for State Manager contact details). 

How to get started – Process to determine if your client is eligible 

Existing clients 

Contact your relevant Relationship Manager with an expression of interest for your client to be eligible for ongoing Allied Health Assistant Physiotherapy support.  

If Physiotherapy support already exists, then a second initial assessment is not required.  All other plans looking to introduce physiotherapy support by an Allied Health Assistant, must first book in a Physiotherapy assessment to determine eligibility. 

New clients 

Complete our online referral form and select an initial Physiotherapy assessment. Go to section titled “reason for referral” and state that “you are seeking client eligibility confirmation for Allied Health Assistant support.”   

Simply click on the image below for our referral form.

Referral on-boarding now completed online in minutes

 

 

 

 

 …

Continue reading →
Announcements, Residential Aged Care

Exercise and Pain Management: Movement is Medicine.

Posted on by Nicole Cook
senior couple stretching
20
Jul

Senior couple exercising

Pain is a normal part of life, sometimes helpful and often unwelcome, but what should we do when pain starts getting in the way of the things that really matter to us?

When pain becomes a regular, unpleasant addition to daily life, we often feel that rest and medication are the best solutions. Thanks to a growing body of clinical research, we now know that the best way to cope with many painful conditions, is exercise.

Our joints, muscles and cardiovascular systems were made to move and when they are injured or unhealthy, often the best medicine is movement.

How does exercise help?

  • Reduces joint pain and swelling.
  • Assists rehabilitation after a procedure or a flare-up.
  • Slows the deterioration of arthritic joints.
  • Improves mood and sleep.
  • Decreases anxiety and helps fight depression.
  • Essential in managing other chronic conditions that are common for people with ongoing pain, such as diabetes and heart disease.

What is the best exercise?

The idea of starting an exercise program can be daunting and overwhelming. Many of us think that exercise needs to include expensive gym memberships or training for a marathon. The good news is that exercise can be simple, easy, and most importantly- enjoyable! In fact, the best exercise is the exercise you want to do and will do, movement is the medicine.

Where to start:

Small changes, made consistently, can produce the greatest results. Walking, swimming, stretching, indoor exercises and exercises specifically designed for you to do at home are all great ways to kick start a more active life.

People managing chronic, painful conditions may need more help in finding the best exercises for them.  Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and Occupational Therapists are trained to assess, treat, and develop programs that are safe, effective, and enjoyable for people of all ages.

Breaking the cycle of inactivity and worsening pain starts with the first step. Why not take it today?

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.

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

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

 …

Continue reading →
Announcements, Dietetics, In Home Care

Dietetic Services Now Available in WA!

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Dietetic Services Now Available in WA
09
Jul

Dietetic Services Now Available in WA

We now offer Dietetic Services in WA!

Empower Healthcare Dietitians are experts in customising and optimising diets and nutrition to improve health and quality of life, while treating and preventing a range of chronic health conditions.

We provide services to clients with Home Care packages, NDIS funding or if they live in residential aged care facilities.

Our passionate team is dedicated to providing the highest standard of care to holistically improve social, physical and mental well being and we are now happy to extend these services to the Western Australian community.

Dietetics Services Now in WA

We provide a broad range of services including:

  • Nutrition assessments
  • Condition specific nutrition therapy
  • Personalised nutrition plans
  • Diabetes dietary management
  • Weight loss management
  • Malnutrition and poor appetite management
  • Heart disease, high cholesterol and blood pressure dietary control and management
  • Gastrointestinal health issues
  • Endometriosis and PCOS
  • Liver disease, cirrhosis and diet
  • Kidney disease and renal diet
  • Enteral feed regime
  • Eating disorders

Empower take a motivational interviewing approach, to provide nutrition counselling and education for the management of chronic health conditions. We provide personalised advice that empowers your clients to meet their health goals.

 

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.

  1. Extensive service offerings
  2. Care provided by highly skilled clinicians
  3. A team approach to delivering continuity of care
  4. User friendly referral process
  5. 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.

Referral on-boarding now completed online in minutes…

Continue reading →
In Home Care, Occupational Therapy, Recruitment, Residential Aged Care

Why Occupation Therapist Teri Chose The Graduate Program At Empower

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Terri website 1500 x 800
09
Jul

Why Occupation Therapist Teri Chose The Graduate Program At Empower2

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.

 

Unlock Your Potential With Empower Healthcare

 

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 by Nicole Cook
Blog post Amanda Chan
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

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.

 

Unlock Your Potential With Empower Healthcare

 

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 →
Announcements, In Home Care, Osteopathy

How Osteopath Callan Reid Helps Clients Achieve Their Health Goals

Posted on by Nicole Cook
Callan Reid 6 scaled
07
Jul

Callan Reid Osteopath

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.

  1. Extensive service offerings
  2. Care provided by highly skilled clinicians
  3. A team approach to delivering continuity of care
  4. User friendly referral process
  5. 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.

Referral on-boarding now completed online in minutes

 

 …

Continue reading →
Professional Development, Recruitment

Why James Enjoys Working At Empower Healthcare

Posted on by Nicole Cook
James W
23
Jun

Why James Enjoys Working At Empower Healthcare

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.

 

Unlock Your Potential With Empower Healthcare

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 →
Announcements, Residential Aged Care

Participation in Pain Assessment Clinical Trial

Posted on by Nicole Cook
painchek website
22
Jun

Empower participates in Painchek's pain assessment tool clinical trial

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

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.

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

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

 …

Continue reading →