Category: Inlifetherapy Services

COVID – the long haul virus

Research is coming internationally on the long term effects of COVID-19. There has been an appalling trend for thousands of COVID survivors to remain debilitated by severe fatigue, brain fog, and tachycardia with a resulting inability to return to work. The economic implications of this with huge numbers of the 20 to 40 year old’s unable to work is hard to ignore, this accounts for 10-30% of those affected by the virus.

Amazingly some headway is being made into how to rehabilitate these patients. Unfortunately it is not a quick fix with a pill or a vaccination. The team at Mount Sinai Centre for Post COVID Care have found these people have developed ‘Dysautonomia’ or a dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. Meaning their body is out of balance and struggling to cope with the smallest everyday actions, a bit like chronic fatigue syndrome or an immune disease.

This lack of balance is impacting on heart rhythm, blood pressure, temperature, fight and flight responses and a myriad of other functions such as digestion, cognition and breathing.

So how have they been making a positive change in these people’s lives? Well apart from dietary changes, stress management and individual rehabilitation programs they introduced a new breath management system called ‘Stasis’ which helps to regulate the body with interval breathing practice morning and night. This works to coach the body back into a regular rhythm and start to restore balance needed for them to get mobilising again without shallow breathing and spiking heart rate leaving them bedridden.

Good news for those who are struggling after contracting COVID-19 to get back to work and their daily routines. At least they can put a name to it and know that they are not malingering and seek help from a breath management service.

Services for Home modifications and Falls equipment

This week its OT Week 2020. The theme is Rebuild, Recover , Reengage. I have taken a moment to reflect and think about the changes that COVID19 has brought to my practice this year.

Many of my patients have withdrawn behind closed doors to wait out the situation, some have used my new telehealth services and others have continued with face to face using protective equipment, social distancing and treatment out of doors.

It has brought with it an opportunity to change the practice and extend my services not only geographically to the southern Brisbane suburbs around Greenbank and Mt Warren but in treatment provision to include minor home modifications such as rails and bidets in bathrooms and non slip surfacing, and larger pieces of equipment such as high back chairs, electric recliners and a greater focus on falls prevention equipment such as sensor lighting, non slip mats, wheeled walkers, and incontinence aids such as bedding and chair pads and pressure and back care cushions.

It has reminded me of the extent of an Occupational Therapist’s ability to assess a persons capacity, their environment at home and the tasks they wish to engage in and assist them in self maintaining these tasks and interacting with their environment in a safer manner.

This week alone has been a varied experience of wheelchair belts, bottle openers, incontinence bedding, non slip mats, electric recliner trial, walking reconditioning, transfer out of bed aids, and breath control practice.

Wonderful to work with a larger population of seniors in the community and looking forward to meeting more of you and enabling your lives for quality living.

Inlifetherapy Telehealth Remote Treatment (now available)

As part of Inlifetherapy’s COVID-19 Response Plan in line with Department of Health and WHO guidelines, strategies for treatment provision will include the following: use of outdoor areas for treatment, social distancing , use of hand washing, cough etiquette, hand sanitiser and use of minimal contact treatment methods / assessment tools have been put in place for home visits. Phone calls will precipitate all home visits to check health status and that an area for treatment that allows social distancing is available. Every referral will be assessed on an individual basis as to what is the best form of contact to be observed.

Treatment at this stage of the escalation pathway will not be provided to confirmed cases in order to protect patients who are not symptomatic.

Privately funded patients who have access to internet connected devices such as a desktop, Ipad, tablet, or smart phone will be able to seek treatment remotely from home without visitation if this is what they prefer.

On the 28 March Medicare Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plans have been approved for bulk billed funding of video or phone telehealth services by Occupational Therapists.

From the 1st April DVA has approved video or phone telehealth services by Occupational Therapists for referred patients.

Instructions for video telehealth can be emailed to you prior to your online appointment. If needed, it might be handy to preempt any difficulties by having a tech savvy family member or friend sit with you when you download the app or attend your first appointment.

Therapy aids will be emailed or mailed for appointments as required.

I am looking forward to this next phase of technical adaptation as a way to further enhance the quality of your health care and continue to help you meet your goals.