A Day in the Life of the AHC

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CLS Allied Health Centre (AHC) - A Day in the Life...

It’s 7am and Harriet (OT) has arrived at Jack’s house to see his morning routine. Jack doesn't like how reliant he is on his mum to shower, dress and get in his wheelchair so Harriet’s trying to work out what might be the best way for Jack to be able to do this on his own.

By 8am, Lisa (Client Liaison) is opening up the Centre and welcoming several people who have already arrived – some for appointments, some for training and some wanting to know how to get to the Nursery Garden.

Come 10am Sue (Speechie) is out visiting Sophie to check-in on how she’s progressing with her new eye gaze technology. Her mum is speechless as Sophie is able to tell her what she wants to eat for morning tea for the first time.

At 11am Sarah (Behaviour Practitioner) and Steve (Resource Officer) are meeting with Brad’s team to review his Positive Behaviour Support Plan. It’s been 6 months and there’s been progress in some areas, but challenges in others so they’re trying to figure out a way to move forward.

By 11:30am Liz and Angel whizz past each other in the hallway and say a quick “hi”. Liz (Physio) is ducking in to grab a piece of equipment. She’s on her way to see Mary who has been working on standing transfers – something she hasn’t been able to do in years. Lately though she’s been making headway and is hopeful that she can master it, which would make it easier for her to get around the house when her husband isn’t at home.

Angel (Psych) is whizzing in the other direction to a stakeholder session with Perry, his teacher and mum about how recent changes at home have impacted his anxiety at school. She’s supporting Perry to describe the breathing strategies he’s been practicing to help him when things get too much.

Meanwhile Alysse (OT) is talking with suppliers about Matt’s alternating air-pressure mattress – it stopped working during the night and he and his team don’t have an alternative mattress to use while it’s repaired. So, Alysse is trying to secure a short-term solution.

It’s midday and there’s a brief get together because it’s cake day (Why? Because!). Multiple conversations are occurring as 15 or so people come in and out of the room, grabbing cake, complimenting the baker, and filling each other in on bits and pieces of their day.

In the afternoon, a visiting orthotics company arrives; they’re using the AHC to provide services, meaning the Centre is busier than usual. Sandy (Dietitian) uses it as an excuse to meet with Viv in the Sensory Garden and discuss how her diet is going. They decide to walk over to the Nardoo Nursery to see if there are any veggies for sale that she might like to try.

As they walk over, they pass Alysse (OT) and Cassie who are taking Maya (the therapy dog) for a walk. Cassie has been struggling to open up and feel comfortable in her sessions, but since they’ve been taking Maya for a walk at the start of their sessions chatting has been getting easier.

Meanwhile Kirsty (OT) is running around the Chicken Garden with Max and Oslo. Their session is part social skill building, part emotional regulation and all movement as neither particularly likes sitting still.

At 3:30pm Dr Joe (Behaviour Practitioner) exclaims “Done!” as he finishes a report for Jason who is in desperate need of suitable housing. Leaving him with 15 minutes to gather up some equipment for a science experiment he’s off to do with a young man named Luke who’s learning about how alcohol can impact the body.

As he heads outs, Liz and Sarah are heading into training for a person who has manual handling and behavioural challenges – hoping to problem solve with the team the safest ways to support him.

At 4:30pm cackling can be heard from the physio room as Netty (Allied Health Assistant) finishes up her session with Deb. No one’s really sure what happened that’s so funny, but every session ends this way.

At 5pm Steve is calling Sarah and Dr Joe to fill them in on Damien who’s been hitting his head a lot lately. They think it might be pain-related, so they’re getting some advice from Aaron (RN) on the best way to get an urgent medical appointment and what information the Doctor might need.

It’s now 5:15pm and Lisa (Client Liaison) is finishing off bookings, checking that everyone is happy and smiling at the end of the day and making sure the Centre is all set for tomorrow…

Disclaimer: This is a fictional representation of a day in the life of the AHC and its staff. While the client’s names and stories may be fictional, the staff and Maya are real!