Victor Yao is a Physiotherapist with over 15 years’ experience working in Residential Aged Care. He is passionate about working with senior Australians, supporting them with slow-stream rehab and has a special interest in supporting clients living with hemiplegia. Victor enjoys learning new clinical skills, and exploring new technology and equipment that will meet his clients’ care needs and improve their quality of life.
Victor recently led the implementation of the Plena Care Pathway pilot in Victoria, and shared his experience with us. “The Plena Care Pathway is a complete package tailored to each individual resident’s therapy needs.” says Victor, “It can be used for enhancing, improving, or regaining the general well-being of residents, particularly with regard to mobility function. One of the great benefits of the Plena Care Pathway, particularly in light of workforce shortages and other resource issues in the sector, is that residents’ health improves with less risk of falls and better mobility function after completing the restorative phase of the program, lessening the burden of care on Aged Care staff. Plena Care Pathway really is the benchmark for customers looking for industry leading residential aged care services.”
Achieving positive results that improve or regain functional independence for senior Australians is hugely rewarding for Victor. “Seeing the smiles on residents’ faces when they express their appreciation for therapy and the care they received is a great feeling. And I always enjoy learning a lot of wisdom from the lives and stories of my clients.” Victor said.
As a Physiotherapist, Victor’s role changes as residents progress through the Plena Care Pathway. During the pre-admission phase, Victor’s role is to introduce the resident (and their family) to the program, talk to them about the benefits and how it could support their personal requirements, and motivate them to participate via good communication.
Following admission to the aged care home, Victor works closely with the resident to co-design achievable goals, based on clinical findings and the resident’s lifestyle preferences, which are then incorporated into the tailored Plena Care Pathway therapy program.
During the restorative phase focus shifts to quality therapy coupled with effective communication to give the client confidence and motivation to achieve their therapy goals. Victor regularly completes outcome measures, not only to give the residents evidence of their progress but to build motivation to continue to aim for improvement and achievement of their goals. The positive effect is further enhanced by photo and video records of their performance.
Upon completion of the restorative therapy program (usually around 12 weeks), the resident transitions into group sessions to maintain their improved functional mobility. Victor takes care to ensure that these sessions are timetabled to suit the interest, lifestyle, and clinical needs of residents to maximise participation and attendance. Residents with similar conditions and lifestyle goals are grouped, increasing the likelihood of mutual encouragement and friendships forming. When residents ask Victor, “When is my next session?”, that’s when he knows he’s done his job right!
Thank you Victor, for sharing your experience providing physiotherapy under the Plena Care Pathway. If you’re a qualified physiotherapist and looking for a rewarding career, check out our Careers page https://www.plenahealthcare.com.au/careers/.
