“Privileged to work with clients and their families” on World OT Day 2022
On World Occupational Therapy Day (27 October) we want to promote how our incredible OT’s support people with disability at all stages of life to reach their full potential.
Occupational therapy enables people to participate in activities they find meaningful. The term ‘occupation’ is used to describe all the everyday things we do in our life. These activities can include taking care of yourself and others, working, volunteering, and participating in hobbies, interests and social events.
Looking at what people do in everyday life; OT’s look at the body and the mind – thinking holistically to reduce the barriers experienced by people with disability.
Jodie, a Yooralla OT, has found that “the best thing about working as an OT is the privilege of working with clients and their families.”
“I love family-centred practice and supporting the family as they use their strengths to work through the challenges they face. We often see families at their lowest – when everything is hard, overwhelming and they have limited capacity for change.”
“We celebrate with them when there are improvements in their child’s skills, capacity to manage new and different situations, and when changes to routines result in positive outcomes for all family members,” Jodie said.
World OT Day 2022
This year’s theme for World OT Day is “Opportunity + Choice = Justice”. The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) explains that “this year’s theme promotes how occupational therapy affords greater opportunity and choice to promote a more open and just society.”
Kirsten, Yooralla OT, agrees that “choice and control are important factors for quality of life, but that requires a world where meaningful choices are feasible and accessible to all.”
“We must consider the unique barriers to choice and opportunity for the people we support and be proactive as a community in eliminating these barriers.”
“My favourite thing about working as an OT is enabling people to live a meaningful and purposeful life,” Kirsten said.
Read more about World OT Day.
Why work as an OT at Yooralla?
“There is so much variety in OT, you are bound to find something within OT that interests you. It is a very broad area, you work in so many different areas and there are so many opportunities – particularly within Yooralla,” Kate, Senior Clinician and OT said.
“At Yooralla there is an opportunity to try different kinds of OT, you gain experience with equipment and home modifications, therapy and working with both kids and adults,” said Kate.
Jodie adds “it is also a privilege to be allowed into client’s homes, childcare, kinder and school settings, and to support them in all environments. Occupational Therapy is a very holistic profession, encompassing all aspects of a client’s life, and allows us to be creative in supporting clients to achieve their goals.”
Kirsten agrees that “Yooralla OTs have a great supportive network for experienced and early career therapists and are invested in providing quality service to the people we support.”
Therapy Services at Yooralla
Find out more about our Therapy services.