#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Nicole has been visiting Bupa Therapy for just under a month now with the assistance of Neuro Physiotherapist, Vicky Cook to help retrain her brain to walk again.

Vicky has been working with Nicole on the robotic gait machine which helps Nicole move and take more steps than she could if she was using other equipment such as a treadmill.

“With the harness and robotic features of the device we can get those repetitions happening and the intensity that’s needed to actually change the brain to heal itself,” says Vicky.

Bupa Therapy is the only place in Australia that has this new device that can be used on patients suffering a range of disabilities including spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, brain injuries and cerebral palsy.

UP NEXT:

Advanced robotics technology is helping people walk again

Find out more about Bupa Therapy.

Meet Vicky Cook, Bupa's physiotherapist

“Many people assume that disabled people are either severely disabled with high level care needs with permanent full time attendant carers, or are Paralympic athletes.

“There is a huge group of people in the middle that don’t fit those brackets who live totally regular lives with a disability. People who have careers, relationships, houses, travel, kids,” he says.

Adam, who is a contractor at Bupa, doesn’t want to be seen as an inspiration, for just trying to get on with his life.

“I’m just a guy who has to do things a bit differently to most people – I’ve become very adaptive to things and a keen problem solver. Inspiration, positivity and hope are all wonderful things and should be celebrated, but not in a way that ends up being condescending.”

While Adam is open with people who ask why he’s in a wheelchair, he says there can be many misconceptions the public make about people living with a disability.

“It's perfectly reasonable to be curious. When people ask politely about why I’m in a wheelchair, I’m always happy to answer.”

“The trick here is to be respectful, sometimes someone might not be in the mood, or have some other reason not to tell their story, and that’s ok too.

It’s been less than two years since his accident and during that time Adam has seen gradual but positive change to make things more accessible for people in wheelchairs.

“When it comes to accessibility, making things more accessible helps more than just people with a disability, it helps all people,” he says.

Victoria’s regional parks are well thought out and beaches are rolling out access mats, and more accessible tram stops are being built.

“Those sorts of little accessibility accommodations can make a big difference to more than someone with a disability.”

“Understanding when things like that are done, its done for the good of everyone, not for just individual people,” adds Adam.

Since leaving hospital, Adam has focused on getting better and returned to work this year in learning and development, a job he did before the accident.

“People think that having a physical disability can also mean you have an intellectual disability. It can mean that people assume that aren’t capable of doing some kind of professional role.”

The state-of-the-art therapy centre was completed last November to help meet the growing demand of disability and NDIS services across Melbourne.

It was co-designed by people living with a disability and carers so the centre meets their needs and to help make care easier and more coordinated.

The NDIS has started rolling out nationally and by the time it’s fully implemented in 2020, it’s expected to support around 460,000 Australians, including 105,000 Victorians with a disability.

Hon Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Social Services said he was delighted to be at the opening of the new therapy centre.

"That's why it’s great to be here because what we’re seeing from Bupa is investments that will make a big difference especially when it comes to the disability sector."

Hon Dan Tehan MP acknowledged Richard Bowden, Australia's Chief Executive Officer and to everyone that works at the therapy centre.

"Richard, to you to all the people that work in the centre - thank you, for what you do. Thank you, because you will be the ones ultimately in the end with that personal contact which will make a huge difference to people's lives," Hon Dan Tehan MP said.

Mr Bowden, was also at the opening said Bupa is excited to expand into therapy to make a difference to all Australians.

“Bupa isn’t just a health insurer, we are a purpose driven organisation delivering broad based health and care and we are committed to helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives

“We’re excited to draw on our global experience in health, care and rehabilitation services to expand into therapy.

“The National Disability Insurance Scheme puts choice and control into the hands of people living with disability. It’s meant the health and care system has had to evolve to meet their needs,” Mr Bowden said.

Bupa Therapy Operations Manager, Angela Aldous, said the NDIS presented a new and exciting opportunity to think differently about how health providers could best meet the needs of people living with disability.

“It’s made us think of different and innovative ways to improve therapy access to people who arguably need it the most. It’s resulted in our new state-of-the-art, purpose-built therapy centre that’s been co-designed with people living with disability and their carers as well as clinicians.

“People wanted more convenience in terms of care delivery, so having physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology under one roof was key. Our purpose-built facility, we believe, will set the standard for the delivery of innovative therapies in the sector and we are really proud of that.

“NDIS means that bespoke facilities like these are now more accessible and built very much for specific needs,” Ms Aldous said.

The centre is open to all, not just Bupa customers or NDIS participants.

UP NEXT:

State first: Stroke and other ABI patients to benefit from high-tech device designed for elite athletes

As a result of its success in the sporting world, it was modified and the D2 was developed for use by the medical community.

For the first time, the technology has become available in Victoria at the new Bupa Therapy centre which has recently opened in West Melbourne, and it’s already generating results.

65-year-old David Richardson experienced a stroke in November. The father of two was one of the first people booked in at the new Bupa Therapy centre and one of the first to benefit from the Dynavision D2 technology.

While he was initially booked in for a speech pathology appointment with Kirsten Toll, Kirsten recognised that he would benefit from occupational therapy too, and invited OT Jacelyn Goh to attend his appointment.

The multidisciplinary team at Bupa Therapy worked together to create the most effective recovery program, which included sessions with the Dynavision D2.

“The Dynavision has been really useful as a part of David’s therapy program to help improve his inattention and reaction time speed. It’s objective and the immediate feedback provided a great way to track his progress, and allowed us to track his ability to return to driving,” says Jacelyn.

“Combining the use of the Dynavision and cognitive rehabilitation approaches, we were able to work on improving David’s attentional deficits and help him successfully transition back into working part-time.”

David says being able to track his improvement made a big difference.

“I’m a numbers person so it was extremely motivating to watch the numbers get better and better every time I used it. Sometimes it’s hard to know how much progress you’re making but with this, there was no question.”

David runs two carpentry businesses, and when he arrived at the centre for his first appointment, his goals were to return to work and to drive again.

He’s since returned to work 8 hours a week and is preparing to get back behind the wheel.

“In my situation, timing was everything so I’m so grateful I could get an appointment straight away and start seeing such positive results so quickly. I feel really lucky.

David’s wife Gemma says trying to find the right care for him was stressful and exhausting.

“Trying to access care and rehabilitation, it was just a nightmare. And then we came across Bupa,” she says.

“We’re not Bupa Members, but as soon as we walked in the door, we knew this was the place for us. When we arrived, it was this welcoming wrap-around service. And we thought, thank you. We’ve got great support, professional service, state of the art equipment, and everyone has been so caring to him. It was just such a lovely and welcoming place to come every time. Nothing’s been too much trouble and they’ve even been caring for me.”

The Dynavision technology can be used to improve hand eye coordination, reaction time, processing time, motor skills, peripheral awareness, visual scanning and attention, generalised weakness and balance for people with acquired brain injuries.

It can also be beneficial for those with developmental disabilities like cerebral palsy, or visual field deficits.

More about Bupa Therapy

Bupa Therapy is a new centre in West Melbourne open to all adult customers with neurophysiological conditions requiring long term rehabilitation. It provides physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology under one roof to make care easier and more coordinated. It’s open to everyone, not just Bupa Health Insurance members.

More about the Dynavision D2

The Dynavision D2 consists of an interactive light system which works with different programs and can all be customised to suit the therapy needs of the individual. It provides real time measuring, recording and analysis of the data it collects, giving immediate feedback to its users.

While it has been used in South Australia and overseas, this is the first time it has become available for use in Victoria.

To book a tour of the centre or find out more, get in touch with the team via the Bupa Therapy website. 

Read more health news

“For some, it’s basic things like being able to brush your teeth, get yourself to work, have a meaningful occupation or give back to society.”

When Jacelyn starts her new role as an occupational therapist at Bupa’s new state-of-the-art therapy centre, which opened this week, she’ll be helping people do just that.

“I’ve helped someone walk down the aisle after he had a massive stroke, another person I helped them have their first trip to the zoo after a major car accident. No one day is the same and everyone has different goals, but to have people come up to me at the end of the day and say to me ‘Jace you got me to where I am,’ that is incredibly rewarding.”

Jacelyn says many people don’t understand what occupational therapy involves.

“Occupation doesn’t just mean a job; it means anything you do in your daily life that gives you meaning or gives you a routine,” she says.

“If you have a disability or injury that stops you from doing any occupation, that’s where we come in and analyse what needs to be done and help you get your independence back.

“It’s the small wins that make a big difference to people’s lives and that’s what keeps me going.

“It’s a bit crazy and full on, but I like it. It keeps me on my toes.”

Jacelyn had been working as an OT in Singapore for six years, and moved to Australia four years ago.

She says she can’t help notice the big differences in the two countries’ health systems.

Singapore, she says, has good health literacy but doesn’t have free healthcare. Meanwhile, Australia is now rolling out the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

“I thought it would be a good chance to come over and look at the different systems, and experience the Australian way of life,” she says.

“The NDIS is still in its infancy stage but it’s exciting.

“The whole theory behind the NDIS is at the heart of what I do as an occupational therapist, which is to find meaning in your life and give people control of their health and choice of care.”

Jacelyn is building on her decade’s experience as an OT, and is currently doing her Masters in Clinical Rehabilitation (Neurological Occupational Therapy).

She joins Bupa Therapy’s intradisciplinary team of clinicians alongside speech pathologist Kirsten Toll and physiotherapist Vicky Cook.

“It’s very refreshing that everyone has come into the Bupa Therapy team with the same purpose. We’re focused on the person and helping them achieve their goals,” Jacelyn says.

“I think the whole concept and the amount of work Bupa has put in will make it an amazing service and I’m happy to be part of it.

“I love the fact that we can change lives and make a difference.”

Bupa Therapy is now open, get in touch to book an appointment or a tour here.

Read more about Careers at Bupa

A physiotherapist can be seen helping the young woman at parallel bars: ‘Hold on Katie, bend your knees, let yourself down slowly.’

“I’ll always remember that ad, it resonated with me and I knew then, that was what I was supposed to do with my life,” says Vicky.

“I thought, ‘it’s amazing that you can help someone learn to walk who previously hasn’t been able to walk, I’d love to be able to do that.’”

Vicky is now an experienced physiotherapist, passionately committed to her job. She can’t count how many people she’s since helped learn to walk again.

After 15 years working in neurological physiotherapy, in both hospital and community settings, she’s excited to start a new venture as a senior physiotherapist at Bupa Therapy.

Bupa Therapy is a new state-of-the-art centre opening this month in West Melbourne for people with neurophysiological conditions.

“Working as a physio is sometimes physically exhausting, it’s always mentally exhausting. It’s not glamorous by any standard but I still think I have the best job in the world,” says Vicky.

“I’m used to working in the hospital system where we would learn about the latest technology and equipment at conferences, but we never got to use them in the real world.

"So, I’m really excited to be working at Bupa Therapy with a brand new facility, new equipment and the kind of modern technologies which I’ve always dreamed of having access to.”

http://media.bupa.com.au/who-is-jacelyn-goh/Vicky specialises in neurological physiotherapy, in other words: assessing, diagnosing and treating conditions of the brain and spinal cord. This includes (but isn’t limited to) stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, brain and spinal cord injuries and tumours, and balance and vestibular conditions.

“I always wanted to work in a caring profession,” she says, “so physio felt like a good fit for me because it means I can work with people, in particular people with disability, which has always been a passion of mine.”

On top of her physiotherapy and Masters degrees, she’s also completed advanced training in Bobath (Neurodevelopmental) treatment and vestibular rehabilitation.

Vicky has been published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at both physiotherapy and rehabilitation conferences. Her research interests include neurological rehabilitation and falls prevention.

She’s also recently become a mum, and says her two-year-old daughter has given her new perspective.

Vicky will never forget one of the first patients she worked with. He was about her age, a young man living with Multiple Sclerosis.

All he wanted was to be able to take part in social activities with his family and friends, up at eye level with everyone else, rather than sitting in a wheelchair. That became their focus and they were able to achieve the goal together.

“One of the most important things is to really listen to the people we’re working with, to understand their goals. Everyone I work with has different goals, but together, we can often find a way to achieve them.

“It might be to stand up, walk to the car or get on a bus, things that many people take for granted. And when these things are achieved, the people are always so grateful, but we’re also grateful to them too because they teach us a lot and that’s what makes work so enjoyable and so rewarding.

“It’s a real two-way relationship and that’s what motivates me on days when I get out of bed and I’m not feeling as energised as I did yesterday, just thinking about seeing those faces and knowing that they’re looking forward to seeing me.”

Meet some of Bupa Therapy's other experienced clinicians, Speech Pathologist Kirsten Toll and Occupational Therapist Jacelyn Goh.

Bupa Therapy is now open, if you’re interested to have a look at the new centre, you can get in touch to request a tour here.

Read more about different careers at Bupa

Kirsten, a speech pathologist for Bupa Therapy, works with people who have speech and language disorders so they can keep up their favourite social activities.

“I love that social interaction. To me, that’s the crux of everything: if you’re isolated and alone, it’s much harder to get better,” she says.

Kirsten recalls a man she worked with who had a progressive illness and was told he would never eat again.

“Many people don’t realise that speech pathologists can help with swallowing disorders,” Kirsten says.

“There was a risk that food could get into this man’s lungs and he could develop pneumonia, so he was being fed through a tube. That was devastating for him, all he wanted was to eat Christmas dinner with his family.”

Swallowing disorders, also called dysphagia, occur when neck muscles make it hard to swallow, often following a stroke or due to a progressive illness like Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Kirsten says she conducted further testing of his swallowing function under xray (videofluoroscopy) which indicated things weren’t as dire as his doctors had originally thought.

Before long, with Kirsten’s help, he was able to experience the taste of food again for the first time in three months.

“It’s all about seeing what you can work with. Quite often someone will be so scared to eat the first time their feeding tube is taken out, so I’ll sit down and eat with them.”

Kirsten stumbled into her lifelong passion for speech therapy when she was travelling around Rome as an 18-year-old. She was studying science at the University of Melbourne and met an American speech pathologist who told her all about her work.

“I thought, ‘I want to do that.’”

From that chance conversation, Kirsten went on to study Speech Pathology at Latrobe University, and worked in neurology and neurosciences at St Vincent’s Hospital, Caulfield Hospital, Alfred Hospital and Monash Hospital. She also works with 3^rd and 4^th year speech pathology students from the Australian Catholic University.

She also spent time working in London, including at the “amazingly dynamic” Homerton Hospital Regional Neurological Rehab Unit.

“They had the most progressive consultants there, so if you had a great idea and said ‘I want to look at this person’s brain while they’re singing or while they’re listening to music’, they’d let you do it,” Kirsten says.

She says this technique can help most speech and language disorders including aphasia (where your brain tries to look for the right word), dyspraxia (where you know the word but your mouth and muscles have problems formulating the word) and dysarthria (weakness of the speech muscles causing slow or slurred speech).

As a speech pathologist, Kirsten says she’s excited for what the NDIS means for people wanting to achieve their therapy and life goals.

“There have been many studies highlighting the importance of the frequency of therapy in order to make a difference,” she says.

“If someone tells me their goal is to go to a coffee shop and chat with friends, then they may need to visit a speech pathologist as often as possible in order to achieve that.

“The NDIS will hopefully give people autonomy to have therapy as often as they need it to achieve their goals. Many people haven’t had that luxury before the NDIS.”

Kirsten’s devotion to communication isn’t limited to people with speech disorders; she’s also committed to educating others to help them understand different conditions which affect speech.

One program she recently ran was with third-year paramedic students from Monash University and a group of people with aphasia (i.e. the speech disorder that makes it hard to access the right word).

“Paramedic graduates often don’t know what aphasia is, they may not know how to communicate with this group of individuals, yet they’re likely to be the first on the scene if they have another stroke or heart attack. If paramedics understand conditions like aphasia, they won’t mistake the person for being drunk, on drugs or confuse their symptoms for a different condition.”

Kirsten says the program included a two-hour ‘speed dating’ session between the paramedic students and the people living with aphasia.

“The paramedic students had to figure out their story, what’s happened to them, how they’re going, what their medical history is,” she says.

“The next time they meet someone with aphasia, they’ll know how to communicate with them and they won’t be scared to look at their ipad and draw pictures, or speak slowly. It was fantastic. The paramedic students were blown away and the people with aphasia were empowered.”

Kirsten Toll has taken on a new role at Bupa’s new Therapy Centre in West Melbourne. She has a special interest in speech and language disorders associated with stroke, acquired brain injury and progressive neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, PSP and MND. She also has extensive experience with swallowing disorders and using new technologies such as iPad and IT applications for speech. She'll join an experienced team of clinicians including occupational therapist Jacelyn Goh and Physiotherapist Vicky Cook.

Those were some of the recurring messages echoed by carers, health professionals and researchers at the 7th International Carers Conference, in Adelaide.

“Caring for someone living with disability can be all consuming,” says Angela Aldous, Bupa Therapy Manager.

“When we engaged with the caring community, we learnt carers take great pride in their work, and often feel a real sense of wanting to be of service to others. But we also discovered a real feeling of isolation, vulnerability, and feeling like they’re unheard. Caring for someone can be extremely stressful, especially if the person doesn’t have the right support.”

Angela was a guest speaker at the conference, where she introduced Bupa Therapy.

It’s a new centre opening in West Melbourne for adults living with disability or long term chronic health conditions. It will bring different services like physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology all together under one roof.

What makes it so special is that carers, and people living with disability, have played a crucial role in physically designing the centre.

“In the design process for Bupa Therapy we’ve engaged carers right from the beginning,” says Angela.

“What we’ve realised is that if we don’t care for the carer, they can’t care for the people they’re looking after.”

“The centre is just as much their space as it is ours, as the clinicians. It’s not a medical model, it’s not about rocking up to the doctors, it’s very much a place where carers should be able to relax, chill out grab a coffee, and take a break.

“Often, the time when their loved one or the person they care for is receiving therapy, is the only time they get some downtime.”

Bupa Therapy is open to everyone, not just Bupa health insurance members. And while NDIS funding is certainly accepted, those who aren’t under the NDIS are welcome too.

“We’re really excited that we’re opening very soon, mid November. People can register their interest online, our website is up and live, they can book a tour, book an appointment, or just pick up the phone. We’ll welcome you with open arms.”

Find out more about Bupa Therapy here.

The hub was designed with direct input from people with disability, their families and carers, and clinicians.

Bupa will continue to consult people from the disability community to guide the implementation of the hub.

This initiative will offer a truly integrated approach to care for people with disability. It will have a dedicated welcome area, treatment rooms and a gymnasium for individual and group therapy. It will also cater for carers and other family members, with lounges, tea and coffee making facilities, wifi, internet terminals and desk space.

Bupa's expansion of services to people with disability follows the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in 2013. The national roll out of the NDIS began in July and is scheduled to be completed by 2020.

Bupa Medical General Manager Dr Ros Blakley said the hub would not be limited to Bupa customers or NDIS participants.

“The NDIS is all about giving people with disability control over the support and services they use. Bupa’s Therapy Hub is as an opportunity for us to listen to people with disability to better help meet their needs,” Dr Blakley said.

“We asked our customers what they wanted and they told us they want a better standard of care. They also encouraged us to take a lead with service delivery, so that’s what we’re doing.

“We want to take the time to give people with disability what they deserve – and that’s the services and support they need to live their lives to the full.

“There are more than 4.3 million Australians with disability. Currently, many of those Australians don’t have access to adequate resources and expertise.

“There is also a real shortage of therapy services designed to help people with disability, their families and carers.

“Everything from layout to lighting has been taken into consideration.

“The bottom line is we want to create a great experience for the people who access our services. For instance, we’ve been told that the convenience of having multiple services under one roof is important because it means people travel less and receive more coordinated care.”

Bupa has deep knowledge in complex care and rehabilitation. In addition to running seven rehabilitation centres in New Zealand, Bupa today cares for close to 12,000 residents in 130 aged care homes across Australia and New Zealand.

“Given our history in rehabilitation services and complex care, we believe we can play a meaningful role in helping address these important community needs, particularly as people now have greater control of their choices through the NDIS," Dr Blakley said.

“We’ve listened carefully to people with disability, their families and carers, and clinicians. That’s why we’re confident this purpose-built facility will make a difference by delivering high-quality, person-first care.

“We want this to be a welcoming environment for people with disability, a place of comfort and convenience for carers and a great place to work for clinicians.”

Interested to learn more?

People enquiring about the new facility or its services can contact www.bupa.com.au/therapy

To learn more about how the centre was co-designed with the disbaility community, Dr Ros Blakley writes about the human centred design process here.