Julia Cham

07:00 AM

I finish up breakfast as I scan through my phone for emails received over the weekend. Filtering through there are no urgent actions required and I wash up and stretch as I prepare for a 90-minute car trip to my worksite assessment for a Cleaning Supervisor at a tourist venue. I have been asked to break down what tasks she completes through the day and the frequency of physical demands.

08:30 AM

Arriving at the workplace, I sign in and meet their internal Workplace Health and Safety Officer who I have worked with before and enter through to the Services area where the worker is based. I speak with the Work Health and Safety Officer and the Services Manager at the organisation to discuss concerns. We note that the worker is a “lead by example” style of Cleaning Supervisor, however, she had a significant wrist injury on her dominant arm.

I go to meet with the worker and observe what her work looks like for two hours. I keep notes of how much time she completes the tasks of her work and how physically demanding it is. I also take photos of the worker in the roles as references for reporting later on.

The services manager surprises me with a coffee, which I appreciate for a little extra kick to my alertness! I chat with the worker as she is completing her work about how she may be able to better delegate the work as a Supervisor.

11:00 AM

I finish all the task observations and depart from the workplace. I start to drive to the next appointment I have which is 45 minutes away. During the drive, I complete a few phone calls to clients (using Bluetooth, of course!).

11:45 AM

I meet with the second client at their home, I have been asked to complete an Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Assessment to make sure that he is able to function well at home and prescribe assistive aids that help him in his day-to-day tasks. We discuss the need for him to receive some assistance with cleaning, mowing and gardening services as his injuries prevent him from doing this.

I ask the client to complete some movements and take me on a tour of the house to ensure that hazards are considered as well as any assistive aids that may help. We determine that he would benefit from a Sock aid as he struggled to dress his lower limbs, and a jar opener as he is unable to generate the grip and torque to open a jar.

13:00 PM

I leave the client’s home for a 45-minute drive back to the office to complete reporting for the work I have completed. I make calls to the insurers for the clients to make sure that any urgent requirements are seen to. I also sneak in a quick lunch.

14:00 PM

I make notes of what I have done in the day and upload consent forms and handwritten documents. Uploading the documents quickly is good practice because if anyone opens the online case file, they will know what I have been doing to help my clients. I note down every conversation and what actions I plan from the conversations, whether I need to contact any doctors or insurers to follow up on pending activities. I comb through emails I have received while away and check through any further actions I need to take and referrals to contact. I head home after that to complete more reporting from my home office (where I can work in my comfy home clothes).

16:00 PM

I start the report for first client I saw today, writing a “Suitable Duties Program” to help guide the employer on what work is suitable and safe for the client to do considering her injury. I also write a Job Task Analysis for the worker to help note what possible tasks the worker can return to if she recovers and gains more function from her rehabilitation.

17:30 PM

I turn off the laptop, the third report for the second client I saw today is going to have to wait until tomorrow. I have a meeting with an international organisation, for which I am the Class Administrator, and we have a meeting to plan activities for the class for the rest of the year. Time to get to that!