SH Occupational Therapy is always focused on the individual’s needs to ensure the best possible outcomes for all relevant stakeholders. The goal is to continually provide OT services that facilitate effective communication channels between employees, employers and insurers to achieve positive results for all parties involved.

Customised OT interventions, which are evidence based, are developed to address individual and organisational needs to achieve sustainable return to health and return to work outcomes. Following initial contact and assessments, agreed rehabilitation strategies are formulated between all stakeholders focused on optimising function, expectations of recovery, participation in rehabilitation, and sustainable return to work. Regular progress monitoring is undertaken to ensure goals are achievable, can be modified as required, and remain the focus of all concerned.

Services

An Initial Needs Assessment (INA) is undertaken to gather information to determine the severity of the injury/illness and resulting limitations, to assess an employee’s current and ongoing rehabilitation needs, and to identify potential barriers (physical, psychosocial or workplace) for an individual to return to work. The aim of the assessment is to provide recommendations that will facilitate a safe and sustainable return to work or return to activities of daily living following injury or illness.
An on-site workplace assessment is conducted to identify the critical demands of work tasks and to determine the potential ‘gap’ between an employee’s pre-injury duties and the employee’s current functional status to return to work.

A workplace assessment assists an employer to develop a return to work strategy that accommodates an individual’s functional capacity. This often involves a graduated return to work approach, such as a Suitable Duties Program, to assist the employee by restoring their functional tolerances in the workplace during their injury and illness recovery.
A workstation assessment (for office-based employees) is completed when employees are returning to work after injury or illness or for those who are having difficulty at work due to a work or non-work related injury or illness. The focus is on identifying unhealthy postures and movements in order to educate office employees regarding why they may have ‘aches and pains’. An ergonomic workstation assessment ensures that employees can identify their unhelpful workplace behaviours and understand optimal working postures to minimise the risk of injury. Recommendations will usually involve education, symptom management strategies, and equipment modification or provision.
An Activities of Daily Living (ADL) assessment analyses an individual’s functional performance around the home with personal, self-care and general household tasks. The goal is to review what type of assistance may be required for a person to live as independently as possible and to consider factors such as medical diagnosis, current capacity, and available support networks. Education may be provided on how to modify the way the task is performed, manual handling and self-pacing techniques as well as use of adaptive equipment. A Home or ADL Assessment can also be helpful in initiating discussions surrounding a return to the workplace in the future.
The health benefits of work are well documented. Current Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) initiatives are based on compelling Australasian and international evidence that good work is beneficial to people’s health and wellbeing and that long-term work absence, work disability and unemployment generally have a negative impact on health and wellbeing.

SH Occupational Therapy works with individuals to remain at work, where possible, and to rehabilitate from injury and illness in a safe and sustainable manner. Early intervention and early return to work has been shown to achieve better outcomes hence the need for proactive return to work programs such initial needs assessments, home and workplace assessments, and suitable duties program development with ongoing monitoring.
Sally Harbison, Occupational Therapist, has over 20 years of complex case management experience. This involves high levels of planning and coordination with stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for individuals, employers and insurers. Effective communication is recognised as the key factor in building partnerships to address barriers within complex health, psychosocial and workplace environments and to plan for sustainable RTW outcomes with all relevant parties.
Early rehabilitation assistance can significantly improve an employee’s chance of an early and sustainable return to work. A comprehensive assessment, including identification of barriers with resulting realistic recommendations and strategies to overcome these barriers, is completed within the early stage of a claim in order to minimise longer term absences from work. This intervention can form part of (i) an employee’s recovery plan and (ii) an insurer’s claims management strategy to facilitate return to work and assists with restoring an individual’s working identity and self-esteem.

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