Jordan Degner

CURRENT ROLE:

My role at Living to the Max involves providing Occupational Therapy for NDIS, LSA, Homecare Package and Department of Veterans Affairs’ (DVA) participants. My role includes conducting assessments and interventions that enhance a client’s quality of life, ensures their safety, and maintains their independence.

As a community-based OT, my role involves visiting clients in their own homes and providing recommendations based on their individual needs and goals. This may include things such as ADL therapy, minor and major home modifications, assistive technology prescription, pain management, falls assessments and education and upper limb therapy. I am also FIM accredited, allowing me to conduct standardised Functional Capacity Assessments.

The thing I enjoy most about my role is being able to build strong rapport with my clients and being able to work with them to support them to achieve their goals. I like that every client is different, which provides me with opportunities to think outside of the box and allow for ongoing learning. I love seeing the positive changes to a person’s well-being, independence and safety as a result of Occupational Therapy intervention.

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

I graduated from the University of South Australia in 2020 with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. During my placements, I was able to gain some experience in the role of an Occupational Therapist with inpatient Mental Health clients (at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital), Residential Aged Care and Paediatrics. I have also spent some time working with children with Autism, to allow for respite for their parents. Once I completed my degree, I initially spent some time working in Residential Aged Care, before starting at Living To The Max Occupational Therapy Services in April 2021. I was lucky to be able to take some time off in 2022 where I was able to travel Central America, which was very eye opening (especially seeing some of the assistive technology that they have access to). During my time at Living To The Max, I have actively engaged in professional development in the areas of seating, pressure area care, assistive technology, home modifications, upper limb therapy as well as Intellectual Disability interventions and assessments. I am also a credentialled FIM (Functional Independence Measure) assessor.

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERTISE:

• Activities of Daily Living (ADL) assessments
• Compensatory strategies
• Prescription of aids/equipment and assistive technology (AT)
• Prescription of minor and major home modifications
• Falls assessment and education
• Assessment and prescription of continence needs
• Assessment and management of pressure care
• Prescription of powered mobility
• Functional Capacity Assessments (FIM)

Personally, outside of work I enjoy being able to get “home” to visit my family and friends on the Eyre Peninsula, playing netball or just lazing around the house – I also have a very needy cat, Lucia, who takes up a lot of my time and attention.