Practice Essentials: Working with Older People – Module 3 delivers knowledge and skills in occupation-focussed interventions and therapeutic strategies from a uniquely occupational therapy perspective. 

This comprehensive module provides the essential knowledge base needed to excel and truly make a difference in your work with older people. It is specifically crafted to lay the groundwork for occupational therapists embarking on their careers in this area, or for experienced OTs seeking to upskill, transition into this dynamic practice area or are returning to practice after a break. It prepares you to deliver services that are secure, principled, and culturally sensitive across various practice environments.  

Through a series of focused lessons, learners will deepen their grasp of evidence-based practice and core intervention principles. The content will explore diverse approaches to support occupational performance and participation, including restorative, rehabilitative, and compensatory methods. Using supporting evidence and practical case studies that illustrate intervention implementation, practitioners build competence in critical evaluation and tailoring of therapeutic techniques to meet the unique needs of older people.  

Reflective activities embedded throughout the lessons encourage critical thinking, self-awareness, and the integration of new knowledge into practice contexts. By the end of this module, learners will be equipped with enhanced skills and insights to support holistic and responsive occupational therapy practice with older people and their support networks. 

The content in this module relates to the capabilities outlined in Domain 3 of the OTA Capability Framework for Occupational Therapists Working with Older People. 

After completing this module, you will be able to: 

• Understand, and with the support of senior colleagues, be able to use common occupational therapy approaches when working with older people, such as restorative and reablement approaches, activity adaptation, therapeutic use of self, therapeutic use of occupation, and coaching. 

• Have an awareness and understanding of opportunities for intervention in a range of areas that are important to older people including cognition, falls, functional mobility, and energy conservation and work simplification. Interventions may include the use of assistive technology, environmental modifications, pain management, social engagement, vocational engagement, sensory approaches, behavioural change, seating, advanced care planning, end-of-life directives, and palliative care, and maintaining sexual relationships. 

• Develop an initial awareness of occupational therapy practice in specific areas of practice including functional mobility, sleep, medication management, access to specialist information, and education in these areas of practice. 

• Builds skills and knowledge of pressure injury types, risk assessment, management and evaluation/monitoring strategies. 

• Consider the individual occupational performance needs of the older person required for medication management and can provide advice on strategies to support continued medication management for non-complex presentations. 

• Build your knowledge of how health and age-related conditions, medications and other substances may impact an older person’s arousal and sleep patterns and can integrate a general knowledge of the principles of sleep hygiene in non-complex scenarios. 

• Become familiar with basic strategies to mitigate the impact of age and age-related health conditions on an older person’s continence and personal care. 

• Understand and apply principles of safe manual handling when prescribing and implementing manual handling strategies and techniques. 

• Apply your knowledge to support the functional mobility needs of non-complex clients through occupation-focused interventions. 

This module is suitable for: 
Early career OTs or more experienced OTs transitioning into roles where they work with older people. 

CPD HOURS: 
Total CPD claimable workshop hours: 6 hours

ACCESS: 
This module will take approximately 6 hours to complete. You may revisit this module at any time within 6 months from purchase date and download documents embedded within the modules. 

REGISTRATION FEES & INCLUSIONS 

OTA Member: $ 340
Non Member: $ 480
(All pricing is inclusive of GST) 

Members must be logged in with username and password in order to register at the member rate. 
Not already an OTA member? Sign up today here to enjoy great savings on CPD courses, events, conferences and unlimited access to local and international research publications, special offers from our partners and more! 

OTHER PURCHASING OPTIONS

For organisations wishing to purchase multiple bundles of the Practice Essentials: Working with Older People, please contact info@otaus.com.au to discuss.

The Practice Essentials: Working with Older People Modules can be purchased as a bundle, visit the Bundle product page to find out more.

DISCLAIMER 
All information is correct at the time of publication. OTA reserves the right to alter or delete items from the CPD calendar as required, and takes no responsibility for any errors, omissions and changes. 
All workshop resources including copies of the presentation, along with all supporting documents and links are not for distribution and are the property of the presenter. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS 
Terms and Conditions including OTA’s refund and cancellation policy are available here  

CONTACT US 
Please email info@otaus.com.au or phone 1300 682 878