Community and Oral Health

Our Occupational Therapists such as TPCH Senior OT Jess play a crucial role working with mental health patients to restore everyday functioning and build strategies to participate meaningfully in their daily activities. 💪

"We see patients in a sub-acute setting so that means they've been discharged from emergency, they may have been referred from their GP, or they may have contacted the 24/7 mental health line seeking support," Jess says.

"Our role is to perform mental health assessments on people to monitor their mental state, and we have our new OT clinic where we work in smaller groups, focussing on emotional regulation tasks to improve their overall functioning and skills to cope during crisis.

"Someone may not be attending work, or engaging in any type of hobbies, so we can find out what the perpetuating factor might be and make recommendations on how they can change their environment to improve this." 🎾🤿🧩🎣

There is an opportunity to join the OT team at TPCH today, click the link below to apply! #WorkforusWednesday

apply-springboard.health.qld.gov.au/jobs/QLD-MH695269 ... See MoreSee Less

'Big Jon' is a familiar face at TPCH, having spent several weeks in a coma at TPCH in 2011 after a blister on his foot developed into sepsis. He would then go on to be diagnosed with a rare neurological issue, causing muscle weakness and loss of mobility.

Over the past 15 years, Jon has visited the hospital many times for support, admitting Charlie's is like a second home. He's been hospitalised more than 400 times and now visits once a fortnight for treatment.

“What CIDP is, it’s an autoimmune disease that my body is fighting and trying to attack my nervous system. So, a good way of explaining it is like a jug cord. That cord’s got wires inside. Well, that’s your nerves. The plastic around would be the myelin sheath. So essentially, my immune system is trying to eat the plastic around the wires to get to the nerves," Jon said, explaining his condition.

"And that’s what my body’s doing right now… So, unfortunately, with the CIDP, your protective layer around the nerves is damaged and the treatment to slow the condition means I’m more susceptible to infection,” he added.

Jon is an ambassador for tomorrow's The Prince Charles Hospital Giving Day through The Common Good Au, raising funds for research and patient care initiatives at TPCH. You can find out more via the link below:
www.thecommongood.org.au/40-years-of-the-prince-charles-hospital-foundation/40-stories-for-40-yea... ... See MoreSee Less