Occupational Therapy Week is an annual celebration, held from 21 – 27 October in 2024, and celebrates occupational therapy as a profession, and the dedicated professionals who provide this care to our community.

At Northern Health, Occupational Therapists (OTs) are the quiet powerhouses ensuring patient recovery isn’t just a goal, but a reality. These unsung heroes weave therapy into daily life activities, turning routine into rehabilitation.

Our large community team of OTs swings into action either at clients’ homes or in our centres, fostering independence and smooth transitions back into the community. We have targeted services for stroke survivors and patients at high risk of hospital readmission. Additionally, our home assessment service tweaks home environments with modifications and equipment to keep folks living independently.

In the Mental Health Division, Occupational Therapists wear many hats, delivering specialised and holistic care across our bed-based and community services. By honing daily functions, enhancing self-regulation skills, and boosting community and social involvement, OTs make a tangible difference in the lives of our consumers.

We asked some of our OTs to reflect on their work and share their stories.

Here’s what they had to say:

“As part of the inpatient rehabilitation team, I recall working with a female patient, who had experienced a stroke, and required the help of the nursing staff to feed herself due to her reduced upper limb function. I worked closely with the patient to focus on upper limb therapy and task-specific retraining to improve her coordination.  We were able to choose specific tasks and activities that aligned with her interests such as crocheting. Thanks to this daily and meaningful therapy, she regained function in her upper limb and was able to achieve her goal of being able to feed herself independently.” Charlotte Boyes, Grade 1 Occupational Therapist
GEM Ward.

“As part of the Sub-Acute Ambulatory Care Services (SACS) Community Therapy team, I was working with a patient who had a stroke and had reduced strength in both his hands. His main goal was to be able to read his newspaper in the morning. Working closely with him and developing task specific exercises to assist with strengthening his hands, he was able to grasp the newspaper without it slipping from his hands. Even though it sounds like a simple goal, it made such a difference to his morning, and he was extremely grateful.”
Alana Evans, Grade 2 Occupational Therapist
SACS Community Team.

“We had the opportunity to work with a client who was experiencing confusion and delirium. The client was admitted into a residential aged care facility and when her condition started to improve, we were able to facilitate her return to independently living in her own home. We were also able to assess her home and recommended strategies, home modifications and equipment to support her function, and memory whilst mitigating the risk of falls where possible. It is not often you hear of people returning home after being admitted into an aged care facility, but we are grateful that we were able to help to achieve her goals.”
Rachael Baxa, Grade 3 Occupational Therapist
Bella Dodds, Grade 1 Occupational Therapist
Home and Community Care Team.

“A highlight of my career has been facilitating activity-based leisure groups in mental health. Witnessing the joy and animation our consumers experience when connecting socially and engaging in a joyful and fun leisure-based activity is a definite highlight. Through these groups, they develop their social skills and feel a sense of belonging and connection.”
Rohan Godfrey, Occupational Therapist Grade 1
Merri-bek Community Mental Health Team, Northwest Area Mental Health Service.

Main picture shows the Occupational Therapy Team at Bundoora Centre.