Allied health in Southern NSW

Occupational therapy helps people to perform daily life activities. Occupational therapists call these activities “occupations”.

Occupational therapists work with children and adults of all ages and abilities. We help you to perform the occupations that you need and want to do.

This could be taking care of yourself and others, going to school, learning new tasks, working, or helping you participate in play, hobbies and interests.  

Our occupational therapists work both in hospitals and with people in their homes or community.

Our occupational therapy services will help:

• assess you, the activity and the environment where the activity takes place. 
• you to participate and perform the occupations of everyday life that are meaningful to you.
• adapt or modify areas of your life so you can perform your chosen activity as easily as possible.
• prescribe equipment aids and therapy tools to help with everyday tasks. For example, mobilise in a wheelchair, showering, and getting dressed. 
• develop strategies to enhance memory, schedule your day, reduce fatigue, and prevent injury or illness.
• manage and live with long-term (chronic) health conditions, like arthritis, diabetes, chronic pain, and heart conditions. 
• people who are recovering from an injury or illness or have problems performing activities due to an accident or long-term condition. This might include people who have spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, stroke, motor neuron disease, dementia, or Parkinson's disease.

Related information:

• Use the service finder to find an occupational therapist near you. 
• For general information on occupational therapy go to Healthdirect and Occupational Therapy Australia

Speech pathology or therapy diagnoses and treats communication disorders.

Southern NSW LHD offers assessment, management and education support to adults and children and their families with communication difficulties. This can include difficulties with:

• social skills
• swallowing (dysphagia), eating/feeding or drinking.
• language or communication (including understanding and using language to communicate, listening, reading and writing.
• speaking clearly and pronouncing words correctly.
• using your voice (including changes to voice, vocal nodules).
• speech and fluency - with how your speech sounds or how clearly you say sounds.

Our speech pathology services can help with:

• working to participate fully and safely in your daily activities.
• enjoying mealtimes with their families and friends.
• understanding what is being said to you.
• using words and/or sentences to get your message across to others.
• speaking fluently and clearly - using your voice appropriately and effectively. 
• interacting with other people more effectively.

Services can include:

• evidence based assessment and intervention (individual or group)
• clinic, home, school and residential aged care-based care
• family, parent, teacher or carer training and education.

If you are unsure whether you or someone you know is having trouble eating/swallowing or communicating with others, please contact our Community Health Central Intake Service. 

Specific programs

Our speech pathology departments are also involved in the provision of specialist multidisciplinary services including:

Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies/Modified Barium Swallow Studies (Goulburn Base Hospital)

• A videofluroscopy swallow study (VFSS)/Modified Barium Swallow study (MBS) is an objective assessment for swallowing and is undertaken with support from the Radiology department.
• The patient is required to eat and drink different textures while being video x-rayed to assess the mechanics of how they swallow. 
• A GP or medical officer referral is required.

Early Years Assessment Teams (Moruya and Bega Community Health)

• Multidisciplinary assessment of children’s development from various allied health perspectives including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work, speech pathology, etc.
• Referral is completed by community health allied health clinicians as required.

Healthy Ears, Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL) Project (Goulburn/Yass, Eurobodalla)

• Assessment and therapy for indigenous children.
• Referral is completed by Indigenous staff, schools, preschools, health clinicians as required.
• Children can be seen at the CHC, in the community at schools & preschools (Goulburn/Yass).

Paediatric Mealtime Support Clinic (Queanbeyan Community Health)

• Multidisciplinary assessment and intervention support for children having trouble with feeding and swallowing.
• Referral is completed by community health allied health clinicians as required.

The Child, Infant and Family Tertiary Service

• Tertiary level assessment of children with complex needs from allied health and medical perspectives including paediatrics, psychology, occupational therapy, genetics and speech pathology.
• The service is provided throughout the local health district (LHD) as an outreach service.
• Referral is accepted from GP, health or educational settings via central intake.

Referrals

Our speech pathology services provide support for both inpatient and community clients within Southern NSW LHD.

Inpatient clients

Inpatient services are provided to clients who are currently admitted to a hospital in the LHD. Referrals can be made:

• by the patient/family or staff involved in their care
• via the LHD's electronic medical records.

Outpatient/Community Health clients

Outpatient services are provided to people who live in the LHD and are not currently admitted to a hospital.

Related information:

• 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
• NSW Police (Emergencies): 000 (triple zero)
• Child Protection Helpline: 132 111
• NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
• Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service: 1800 938 227

Dieticians help people understand the relationship between food and health. They also help people change their diet to become healthier and stay healthy. 

Our nutrition and dietetic services can:

• coach and educate you and answer your questions relating to food and diet.
• help improve your health outcomes if you are living with acute or chronic health conditions. 
• provide nutritional care for inpatients at our hospitals and multipurpose centres. If you have any nutrition concerns when you are in one of our facilities, please let your doctor or nurses know and they can request a dietitian consult.
• provide individual services for people in the community with complex needs, like tube feeding, kidney disease, people undergoing cancer treatment, or those recovering from strokes or extensive surgery. 

Our services are available for all age groups. We can provide nutrition advice to groups or health programs. We also work with you and your family, and other members of your health care team.

Our dietician team accepts referrals from your GP, doctor or other health professionals.

Related information:

• Eat for Health Australia - resources and information about dietary guidelines in Australia.
• Go4Fun - free program for NSW children aged 7 to 13 who are above a healthy weight, and their families.
• Get Healthy Coaching Service (GHCS)- free program to help you reach your health goals. You do it from home, at a time that suits you.
• Make Healthy Normal - free NSW Health service to support the GHCS, it includes other programs that support health and wellbeing.

Qualified social workers provide free and confidential social work services when you, a family member or carer are dealing with complex health or social needs.

If you are in hospital, tell the ward clerk or nursing staff if you or a family member wish to see a social worker. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to access social work services.

How will our social work services help you?

Social Workers are a part of your health care team, which can include allied health, medical and nursing staff. 

We provide counselling and support, psychoeducation, information and referrals to community counselling, housing, financial, legal and other service providers.

Social Work services can assist you with:

• elder abuse
• carer support
• palliative care
• sexual assault
• end of life discussions
• child and family health
• child wellbeing concerns
• sudden unexpected death
• domestic and family violence
• bereavement, grief and loss support
• culturally safe and trauma informed counselling and support
• women’s health, including termination and pregnancy support
• adjustment to diagnosis, accident or chronic health conditions like cancer, diabetes, cardiac and renal conditions.

Further information 

Contact our Community Health Central Intake Service on 1800 999 880 or SNSWLHD-CommunityIntake@health.nsw.gov.au