Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists (OT’s) work with people of all ages to help them do the things they need and want to do.

Our Occupational Therapists work in a wide variety of clinical areas, working with client’s right across the life span, from paediatric to geriatric populations.

Our Occupational Therapy team works across the following areas:

• Acute Inpatient Programs – medical, neurological, paediatric, surgical & orthopaedic wards
• Subacute Inpatient Programs – GEM, GEM in the Home, Inpatient Rehabilitation & Palliative Care
• Community Rehabilitation (CRC) – Neurological, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and General Rehabilitation
• Persistent Pain Management Program
• Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS)
• Paediatric Community Health
• Community Programs – HARP, Transition Care, Restorative Care
• Residential Aged Care
• Hand Therapy Outpatients
• Cancer Services – BAROC & BRICC
• Driving Assessment and Rehabilitation Program
• Cognitive Dementia and Memory Service (CDAMS)
• Domiciliary Services – Home & Community Care (HACC), Active Service Model (ASM) & Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

OT’s assess physical, cognitive and psychosocial abilities, skills and difficulties which may be impacting on a person’s ability to complete their ‘occupations’ or ‘activities of daily living’:

• Personal Care Tasks – showering, dressing, feeding, toileting
• Domestic Tasks – cooking, cleaning, gardening, caring for children
• Community Tasks – accessing the community, work, bill paying, socialisation

OT’s also assess the environments in which an individual completes their occupations and daily tasks.  Environments assessed may include home, work or school. 

Following a thorough assessment an OT will develop an intervention plan.  When a plan is implemented it aims to allow clients to engage as independently as possible in the occupations that are meaningful to them.

Interventions may focus on:

• Building skills and capacity to allow engagement in occupations and tasks
• Modifying the environment to increase safety and independence and to suit the individuals needs i.e. installation of grab rails, ramps or modified steps
• Modifying the way in which a task is completed – working on compensatory methods of achieving a task
• Providing aids and equipment to assist clients participate in the occupations they need and want to do i.e. wheelchairs, showering or toileting aids

Medical practitioners or specialists can refer potential clients for Occupational Therapy Services.

Some programs also accept referrals from Allied Health Professionals and nursing staff as well as family, friends or self-referrals.  Check with each individual program for referral requirements.

Referrals for Community Programs:

Allied Health Community Programs

Central Intake

Phone: (03) 5320 6690

Fax: (03) 5320 3893

Referrals for inpatient and Residential Aged care Occupational Therapy services are received via internal team processes and should be discussed with your doctor or treating clinicians.  All referrals are triaged by an OT team member and prioritised in terms of urgency.