Home nursing services are now available for Home Care packages & NDIS participants.
Enjoy a full-service allied-health platform, where you can experience and benefit from our responsive service promise across all care professions.
Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Home Nursing, Podiatry, Dietetics, Osteopathy and Massage therapy.
Easily manage your client portfolio by using our streamlined processes that digitally capture your requests, quickly schedules appointments and receive timely reports without needing to chase or follow-up.
Home Nursing Service Solutions
We offer a wide range of home nursing services from; Medication Management, Wound Management & Skin Integrity, Diabetes Management, Continence Management, After Hospital Nursing Care, Clinical Assessments and Mobility Assessments and Recommendations.
Access our national office qualified nurse support member to answer enquiries on short and long-term care needs of your respective clients and any queries you may have surrounding transition.
And have peace of mind knowing we have carefully selected our nursing team to ensure they maintain our exceptional care service standards and have been screened and police checked to provide your clients with the highest nursing competence and safe care.
Home Nursing Service Coverage
Our nurses are available 365 days a year, from 7am to 9pm,
Home Nursing Service Geography
We will initially be servicing the South-East region of Victoria.
This area ranges from Brighton down to Mornington and east across to Beaconsfield.
Suburb listing
Below is a comprehensive listing of the suburbs we will cover.
We are getting a lot of interest in other areas too, so to help us identify meeting your nursing area needs, please register your interest by sending us an email and we will update you when we release our second stage in extending our geography coverage.
We are very excited to announce the introduction of home nursing services for Home Care packages & NDIS participants.
Enjoy a full-service platform, where you can experience and benefit from our responsive service promise across all care professions.
Easily manage your client portfolio by using our streamlined processes that digitally capture your requests, quickly schedules appointments and receive timely reports without needing to chase or follow-up.
Access our national office qualified nurse support member to answer enquiries on short and long-term care needs of your respective clients and any queries you may have surrounding transition.
And have peace of mind knowing we have carefully selected our nursing team to ensure they maintain our exceptional care service standards and have been screened and police checked to provide your clients with the highest nursing competence and safe care.
Nursing Service Solutions
We will be offering a wide range of nursing services involving:
Clinical Assessments
Medication Management
Wound Management & Skin Integrity
Continence Management
Diabetes Management
After Hospital Nursing Care
Mobility Equipment Purchases
Nursing Service Coverage
Our nurses will be available from 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Nursing Service Geography
We will initially be servicing the South-East region of Victoria.
This area ranges from Brighton down to Mornington and east across to Beaconsfield.
Suburb listing
Below is a comprehensive listing of the suburbs we will cover.
We are getting a lot of interest in other areas too, so to help us identify meeting your nursing area needs, please register your interest by sending us an email and we will update you when we release our second stage in extending our geography coverage.
As we come to the end of OT Awareness Month, we would like to introduce Anju, our OT Home Care Team Leader. Anju brings over 11 years’ experience in occupational therapy to Empower Healthcare and her extensive background from rehabilitation to private practice means Anju is perfectly suited and equipped to support her team in a wide range of occupational therapy services to help consumers build their independence and achieve sustainable therapy outcomes.
I love seeing the smile on my client’s face when they receive new equipment or learn new ways to participate in activities that, they thought were long behind them. Independence is everything. I love giving that to people
When did you join Empower?
February 2020
Why did you choose Empower?
I am excited about teaching OT skills and improving services to customers. Adam and Matthew embodied these same values during the interview which made it easy to choose Empower.
What do you love most about your job?
I love how I can help client’s achieve their goals and develop their skills. It is always a challenge in identifying the right strategy for each client. It is always invigorating to work with them to find the best approach which helps them achieve their goal.
What has been your most memorable moment?
The best moment for me has been where I helped a client develop their fine motor skills by playing cards.
In what ways has Empower supported your growth personally & professionally?
In the past few months, Empower has given me the freedom to develop OT programs and professional programs to improve the skills of all therapists.
In your new role, what will you be looking to achieve in 2020?
This year, I hope to set up a uniform standard of practice for all OTs to practice.
What piece of advice would you give your new graduate self?
To avail of every opportunity for professional development. It’s not just the courses and theoretical classes that develop a therapist’s skills but also practical sessions with senior therapists. It helps to attempt a new referral/ treatment program even if you have nil to limited experience as it only improves your knowledge and skill.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Out of the workplace, what are your interests and hobbies?
Out of the workplace, I am usually very much restricted to my daughter’s various activities. I enjoy dancing and participate in cultural activities when they come up. I love reading, mostly thrillers and crime and I believe Agatha Christie is the best author in the genre.
Employment at Empower Healthcare
Love your work
We are recruiting!
Do you share our passion for exceptional care?
We are searching for clinicians that want to keep their finger on the pulse of a thriving industry.
We offer a highly competitive package; flexible working arrangements, annual professional development program, subsidised external PD courses and paid study leave, above award remuneration, plus other benefits.
We recognise the importance of healthcare professionals taking every measure to help protect the health and well being of our clients and themselves in light of the continuing spread of COVID-19.
And we support the expert medical advice that everyone aged six months and over should be vaccinated against influenza this year, and every year, to protect themselves and the community.
Empower Healthcare is acutely aware that from 1 May 2020, all aged care workers and visitors must have been vaccinated against seasonal influenza to enter an aged care facility.
So, in alignment with the decisions made by the National Cabinet, we have updated our Influenza Vaccination Policy mandating all Empower Healthcare employees visiting clients in residential aged care facilities and in the community, to have up-to-date (i.e. 2020) vaccinations against influenza by 24 April 2020.
Employees will be required to provide evidence of this vaccination to Empower Healthcare by Friday 24th April 2020, in the form of:
Statement or record from a health practitioner
Immunisation history statement available from Medicare online or the Express Plus Medicare Mobile app
And we will provide all clients with clinician certification by Thursday 30th April 2020.
An email with our updated Influenza Vaccination Policy has been sent to all clients. If you would like a copy, please call the national office on 03 9583 1364.…
We know a lot of you are doing your bit during these challenging times – social distancing & self isolating… whatever you’re doing, we are grateful for your contribution! We also know that it’s quite easy to fall into the habit of sitting for long periods as we’re cooped up in our homes. That’s why we want to share with you some tips on how to keep moving in your home. Movement and physical activity is essential, especially during these trying times, to keep our immunity and mental well-being up! Better still, studies have shown that staying active in your senior years can add 5 years to your life.
1. Don’t stop moving!
Functional decline can happen very quickly. Just remember, if you don’t use it, you lose it! Walking around your backyard is a good start (& you don’t need a big back yard to do this!). 30 minute walks are recommended, but you can break it down into 10 minute walks, 3 times a day.
2. Maintaining your strength
Strength can decline very quickly. No need to go to clinics for exercises, you can do them in your own home. Exercises along the kitchen bench are usually recommended. While you’re in the kitchen, grab 1L milk cartons or your canned foods to use as weights, one in each hand and lift them above your head – that’s one of the many ways to build your shoulder strength. It’s that simple!
3. Maintaining your respiratory health
We know that COVID19 affects your respiratory system. Did you know that Physios are the experts in respiratory health? We can provide exercises to improve lung and airway function – this can be simple as walking up and down the stairs!
4. Keeping your flexibility
Stretching is also essential especially when your body is in one position for prolonged periods of time – stretches in bed or on the couch, especially for your hips, neck and back as they usually under most stress when sitting for too long!
Introducing TeleTherapy Services
At Empower, we can do all this, from a distance! We have introduced TeleTherapy services for people that are self-isolating, are unable to have face to face appointments due to their health or feel uncomfortable with a face to face appointment.
This means we can help you with the points mentioned above – without needing to physically be there! Our new service model will enable continued therapy services without direct contact that will keep you and your family safe from COVID-19.
Click below to learn more or call us on 9583 1364 for more details on our new TeleTherapy service approach.
“Our promise: We respond faster. Whether it’s our short waiting lists, same day reporting or simple referral process, you can rest assured that your client is in the best hands.”
We have listened to our clients and they don’t have the time to micro-manage their portfolio. They want to partner with someone that is reliable and dependable with transparent pricing structures.
Adam Gilroy Smith, CEO reveals, “Empower has grown by 100% over the past year based on our service model across Home Care, NDIS and Residential Aged Care. By listening to our clients and the challenges they face, we adapt, stay well positioned and respond fast to deliver exceptional care. The launch of our new service model is another example of Empower Healthcare’s ability to be agile in a rapidly changing environment.”
How To Get Clients Started With Our TeleTherapy services
Existing clients – Call 03 9583 1364 to discuss.
New referrals – Simply click below to complete our referral form.
Click here for the article by Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) that confirmed the status of allied health professionals as an ‘essential service’.
TeleTherapy service model is now available for Empower Healthcare clients.
This additional service delivery option underpins today’s confirmation that ALL allied health services are considered an ‘essential service’ by the Australian Minister for Health and the Federal Minister for Health, The Hon Greg Hunt.
Empower’s TeleTherapy service will help our community stay healthy and independent during this situation, it also will reduce isolation and offer the ability for those most at risk to stay safe whilst remaining connected to their valued services.
All our services will continue to be provided in person where possible. Empower Healthcare is taking the risks associated with COVID-19 seriously and have introduced many precautionary measures to protect consumers and our team during Home Care & NDIS visits, including Pre-Screening all Home Care & NDIS clients prior to visits.
In addition, our new TeleTherapy service is available immediately for the following services:
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Osteopathy
Dietetics
In our TeleTherapy model, clients can choose between; using their own device – smartphone, tablet, PC, and we will supply an email with a single link to start a video call.
For those clients that do not own a device, or find it hard to use technology, Empower will supply a sanitised device on the day of treatment.
Our TeleTherapy service is perfect for people that are self-isolating, are unable to have face to face appointments due to their health or feel uncomfortable with a face to face appointment.
Call us on 039583 1364 for more information and pricing on our TeleTherapy service option.
“Our promise: We respond faster. Whether it’s our short waiting lists, same day reporting or simple referral process, you can rest assured that your client is in the best hands.”
We have listened to our clients and they don’t have the time to micro-manage their portfolio. They want to partner with someone that is reliable and dependable with transparent pricing structures.
Adam Gilroy Smith, CEO reveals, “Empower has grown by 100% over the past year based on our service model across Home Care, NDIS and Residential Aged Care. By listening to our clients and the challenges they face, we adapt, stay well positioned and respond fast to deliver exceptional care. The launch of our new service model is another example of Empower Healthcare’s ability to be agile in a rapidly changing environment.”
How To Get Clients Started With Our TeleTherapy services
Existing clients – Call 03 9583 1364 to discuss.
New referrals – Simply click below to complete our referral form.
Click here for the article by Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) that confirmed the status of allied health professionals as an ‘essential service’.…
Empower Healthcare has been on the front-foot since the early COVID-19 developments and have created a detailed Business Continuity and Operational Plan.
How has Empower Healthcare Been Preparing?
We are committed to the safety of our clients, consumers and team members and our Operational Plan details the increased measures we have taken across our organisation and those we plan to take should the Pandemic progress. This plan was shared electronically with our clients yesterday. Please contact national office on 03 9583 1364 if you would like a copy of this communication.
We will be in regular communication with you all throughout this crisis, at this point we would like to communicate the following key advice:
Currently there are no cases of COVID-19 within the Empower Healthcare team
All Empower staff have undertaken a refresher course on Hand Hygiene and Infection Control in response to COVID-19
Our teams are being provided with additional PPE to further minimise risk
We have issued our internal COVID-19 policy which ensures that any at-risk staff do not attend and will require medical clearance prior to returning to work
Will all of Empower’s Services Be Maintained?
Yes. As healthcare providers, we recognise that we provide an invaluable service to Residential Aged Care, Home Care and NDIS clients, and as such, have taken the following additional measures to ensure clients, consumers and team members health and safety comes first.
Residential Aged Care:
Some of our clients have asked us how we will ensure that we provide our full service throughout the outbreak process. We’d like to reassure you that at Empower Healthcare, we have taken several measures to ensure that we maintain a healthy and viable workforce across all of our client’s facilities. In addition, we have moved to increase our workforce including adding to our casual bank.
In some cases our clients have moved to voluntary lockdown. In these cases, we’d like to reassure you that as an essential part of the operation, Empower will continue to provide services in conjunction with providers.
Home Care/ NDIS:
Currently the advice is to maintain Home Care Services as these offer key supports to the community, including physical support and vital access to equipment.
As we are all aware, the people we all work with are some of the most vulnerable with a higher risk of infection and will continue to require our services in order to stay safe and healthy at home. Therefore, we are taking every possible precaution to ensure that we can continue to provide our services to them safely.
How are employees managing infection control and consumer safety?
Empower Healthcare are undertaking the following precautions:
Education on Infection control and hand hygiene is offered to all consumers as part of our service
Pre-screening of all clients prior to visit – currently undertaken by clinicians prior to entering house. Should the pandemic progress to the next phase, pre-screening will be undertaken each day for all visits by our Head Office team.
A Home Care specific education module on precautions around COVID-19 has been provided to all staff
Strict Infection Control and PPE measures such as; WHO 5 moments of hand hygiene and sneeze/cough hygiene, use of gloves, as well as thorough and regular cleaning of equipment before and after each treatment.
Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) packs have been prepared for clinicians which contains examination gloves, hand sanitiser, soap dispenser paper towel and bars of soap.
If a customer is feeling sick?
It is very important that Empower Healthcare is informed if a customer becomes unwell, particularly if they have been receiving support services during the 14-day period before becoming unwell. This is especially important if you have symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat or tiredness.
If you develop symptoms including a fever and cough you should isolate yourself immediately and urgently seek medical attention. It is very important that you do not continue with Empower Healthcare’s services while you are unwell.
What will happen if a customer or staff member has COVID-19?
Staff
In line with government guidelines, employees will not attend work and will alert management as soon as possible if they meet any of the following criteria:
Within the last 14 days, travelled to/from China, Iran, South Korea, Italy or any other country with heightened travel advisories in place in relation to COVID-19
Have been in contact with anyone who has travelled overseas in the past 14 days
Are experiencing a fever or any respiratory illness;
Have tested positive for COVID-19; or
Have been instructed to self-isolate by a public health official
If Empower Healthcare becomes aware of a team member positively confirmed with COVID-19. National office will then notify the relevant healthcare organisations, clinical care managers, case managers, consumers, carers and other team members that may have been in contact.
In regard to Home Care Services, all future treatments will be re-allocated and case managers, consumers & carers will be notified.
Empower Staff members will not return until they have a medical clearance.
Customer
If a customer has contracted COVID-19 and we have been notified by the healthcare organisation, management will ask for any clinician that has been in contact with that consumer in the last 14 days, to go into self-isolation.
Customers who have contracted COVID-19 will not be able to return to receiving Empower Healthcare services until they have a medical clearance.
Current Business Operational Status
As part of our Operational Plan, Empower Healthcare’s national office will now be reduced to a skeleton team, with the other team members continuing to work from home. As the pandemic progresses, all national office members will follow suit.
Our service platform utilises cloud-based technology platforms, so we can easily continue business from any location.
All contact points stay the same. You can contact the Home Care Services Support Team on 03 9583 1364 or via email, info@empowerhealthcare.com.au.
Contact Points
If you need more information or have a specific question, you can contact:
Here’s a quick video we have taken today that we encourage to share with your colleagues.
As you know infection control is vital across all areas of care, particularly in light of the risk of further outbreaks of COVID-19 in Australia.
Correct hand hygiene techniques are a key component of infection control. In the video Donna and Leah cover how to properly wash and sanitise your hands. This is a timely reminder and relevant for everyone, from care workers in aged care and home care, to family members, friends and co-workers.
This refresher video demonstrates the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) hand washing and hand rubbing process as well as discussing the 5 moments when health-care workers should perform hand hygiene.
At Empower, all staff are required to undertake the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s Hand Hygiene training module, once completed the module provides certification. The link to the module is below if you would like to share it across your team.
Empower Healthcare have teamed up with the world’s most trusted home and community care technology provider AlayaCare to improve referral on-boarding and operational efficiencies.
Why Have We Introduced AlayaCare?
AlayaCare’s advanced technology will strengthen our services to deliver higher quality Home Care to our clients.
This highly innovative technology enables us to integrate a seamless, end-to-end paperless management approach to clients and consumers.
Referral on-boarding will now be completed online, confirmations to case managers and clients will be electronic.
Having a complete cloud-based workflow process now provides our clients with:
A faster and simpler on-boarding form
Significantly reduced time spent on paperwork
Diminished wait-times between on-boarding and first appointment booking
Enhanced compliance with increased documentation accuracy
Peace of mind that consumer information is stored in a highly secure cloud-based environment
No one likes paperwork and repetitive administration tasks associated with their role. We have trialled our new process with a pilot group of clients and they have overwhelmingly found it faster, simpler and so easy to use.
We know our clients are going to appreciate the introduction of AlayaCare.
Better still, the Empower team can do what they do best – focus on providing exceptional care based on consumer end goals and less on administrative tasks.
Plus, we are making a conscious effort in reducing the environmental impact and climate change.
When will AlayaCare go live?
We will launch AlayaCare on Wednesday 11 March.
How Have Clients Been Notified?
Home Care & NDIS Clients have been notified by email and will be sent a follow-up communication with a direct link to our e-referral form.
From Thur 5 March, the referral form will also be found on multiple locations of our website.
An FAQ can be found below to pre-empt any questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it typically take to complete the new referral form?
Around 2-3 minutes.
Can I attach consumer data documentation within the on-boarding process?
Yes you can.
Who can I call if I have questions around completing the onboarding form?
Anyone from the national office Home Care Services team on 03 9583 1364.
Will I receive a written confirmation once a referral form has been submitted? Yes, an email confirmation will be sent straight to your inbox.
Yes, an email confirmation will be sent straight to your inbox.
No one wants to deal with an enquiry from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Neither do you want the heightened stress from a choking incident possibly damaging the credibility of your facility. And what if an investigation determines the incident as a premature and preventable fatality? Transitioning to the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) global framework could be one of many strategies that protects the reputation of your organisation by reducing these risks and increasing the safety and well being of your consumers.
Part 2 of the IDDSI blog series explains how the IDDSI framework trumps the current Australian Standards and how we can help you and your staff either begin or complete accomplishment of the transition process.
The size of the problem
As dysphagia often happens at the same time as other health conditions, it is difficult to be certain of the prevalence rate. However, and alarmingly, research indicates that 50-75% of nursing home residents have a prevalence of dysphagia (1).
And as you may be aware, many of these instances can be avoided if dysphagia is treated timely and appropriately.
What is more worrying, is that if dysphagia is not treated appropriately by staff, then besides choking, associated health complications include pneumonia, chest infections, dehydration, malnutrition and weight loss.
Often dysphagia residents exhibit sociated declined health, so staff will have difficulty in administering medication and this can result in hospital admissions. In the worst cases, dysphagia can result in death.
When Professor Joe Ibrahim, Head of Health Law and Ageing Research Unit at the Department of Forensic Medicine at Monash analysed nursing home deaths within a 15-year period, he found over 3,000 deaths were considered premature and preventable (2).
“The study showed that choking was the second highest incidence that caused premature deaths in nursing homes.”
Don’t leave your residents to chance and become a statistic.
Why does the IDDSI Framework Trump the Australian Standards
While we have had voluntary national terminology in Australia that addresses food textures and thickened fluids for people with swallowing problems since 2007, the (IDDSI) Committee created global standardisations based on comprehensive evidence-based best practice. From recorded experiences, the recommendations accommodate a greater spectrum of severity, so there is far more accuracy in serving food textures and drink thicknesses appropriate for individual conditions.
Additionally, these standards have been introduced to reduce the variation in care. While staff are transient across geographic locations, a global standardisation aids in a universal understanding and approach that minimises risk.
There are three major changes between the existing Australian terminology to the IDDSI framework, such as 1. a new numbering system 2. colour code changes denoting the thickness of drinks, and 3. the removal of bread and sandwiches from the new IDDSI Level 6 Soft & Bite-Sized category.
By transitioning to the IDDSI standards, you and your staff can have peace of mind, knowing another advisory and protection level has been added, with these standards supported by peak bodies such as Speech Pathology Australia, Dietitians Association of Australia and the Institute of Hospitality in HealthCare. As all relevant health professionals are educated and trained to adopt the standards, further benefits yielded will include improved communication and collaboration.
Australia is joining more than 20 other countries including New Zealand, the US, Canada, and several European nations in implementing it.
The best way to implement this framework is through an AWARE-PREPARE & ADOPT strategy.
And this is where I can be of help to you.
I have created a FREE informative presentation for your staff involved in care and catering that addresses the first stage of Awareness.
Dietitians are experts in food and nutrition. They assist people with optimising their diet and nutrition to improve one’s health and quality of life, and to prevent and treat a range of chronic health conditions. Dietitians can also help patients manage nutrition at different stages of life, nutrient deficiencies, and food intolerances and allergies. Dietitians have sound university training accredited by the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA), and undertake continuous professional development that complies with the DAA guidelines for best practice.
Dietitians perform thorough nutrition assessments and monitoring, taking into account various factors including a patient’s medical, clinical and diet history, individual nutritional requirements and their health goals. This information helps accurately diagnose nutrition issues and forms a treatment plan that ensures patients receive quality evidenced-based care and achieve the best health outcomes.
