Elise Klumpes-Grant
Occupational Therapist
Sutherland Hospital
“Our team vision for patients – your life, your goals, our focus – helps explain the work I do as an Occupational Therapist (OT). I’m motivated to support patients to engage in roles and activities that are meaningful to them and will improve their quality of life. Even on a small scale, it’s rewarding to see progress.
A recent achievement I’m proud of is working as part of a South Eastern Sydney Local Health District team to develop a Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy program. The innovative, evidence-based approach helps patients who have experienced a stroke improve the use of their affected upper limb.
One of the initial participants was a young dad who was struggling to pick up his toddler son, impacting his life as a parent. His goal at the end of the intensive two-week program was to be able to do this independently and so this became our therapy focus. I’m happy to say he was able to achieve his goal, and he can now pick up his son with ease.”
This week is National Occupational Therapy Week, acknowledging the 171 occupational therapists and 11 OT Allied Health Assistants working across SESLHD that support people of all abilities to engage in activities they find meaningful.