What's your job about?
HCA is one of the healthcare providers in Australia. My role is to provide allied health in an aged care facility. My main task in the facility is providing fall prevention strategies and doing pain management to eliminate fall risk and improve residents’ wellbeing. I think some people can feel confused about the role of OT or PT. I don’t think there are many people who know about OT’s work. Some of the residents and their family members still think that I am a physio. It usually takes me some time to explain the difference between these 2 roles.
What's your background?
I was born in Taiwan. I completed my primary, secondary education in my country and then decided to come to Australia to receive higher education. Studying abroad is one of the most important stages for me in my life. I think it is a big decision that can greatly change my life. I had heard about HCA for a while before I started. It is because some of my friend and senior who works for the company that I submitted my CV.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes. There are quite a lot of occupational therapists who are coming from different backgrounds in Australia. I also got many international classmates when I was in the university, I believed it won’t be an issue for them to provide quality healthcare to their clients. Being open-minded will be a kind of characteristic for working as an occupational therapist. It is because we usually need to communicate with clients, their family members, and other professionals. I think it is quite important to respect their opinions and it will be easier to work with them toward the same goal.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I really like to interact with the residents and talk to them. I can always learn something from the resident in the aged care facility. I also like to hear the feedback after I provided a massage or doing exercise with the resident. It makes me have a sense of achievement and it also makes me feel like I did contribute my skill and benefit to a group of population.
What are the limitations of your job?
Because I work in an aged care facility, some of the residents have got severe cognitive issues and can be a bit aggressive. Although I haven’t been physically abused by any resident, sometimes a resident may swear at me and tell me to go away. It was a bit of shock for me at the beginning of my career. Hence, I will suggest if someone wants to work as an OT in the aged care facility, shouldn’t take the situation personally. It is because the resident’s cognitive issues can greatly impact their behaviour.
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