For Health Professionals

Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate fully in the activities of their everyday life. It does this by using specific activities to enable people to do things that will enhance their ability to participate or by modifying the physical environment to better support participation.

The Occupational therapy service provides a service to the inpatient units of St.Vincent’s hospital, St.Georges hospital, Caritas Christi and Port Phillip prison across acute, sub acute, community and correctional health.  

Together, the patient and occupational therapist develop goals, to guide a “person-centred” intervention program. We work with patients with a wide range of conditions, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, neurological tumours, amputation, joint replacement, and patients’ with complex co-morbidities, who are deconditioned following long hospital stays.

The Occupational therapist aims is to enable patients to engage in their usual or expected occupations (ADL tasks) post injury, illness, or surgery. This is achieved through providing both assessment and therapy to enable individual's to perform ADL tasks essential for their safe discharge.  Interventions may also include cognitive and perceptual assessment, pressure injury prevention/management, upper limb management, assistive equipment prescription, education and training in task performance, and advice on minor home environment modification depending on the patient's presenting issues and reason for admission.

Occupational therapy inpatient service is available across multiple sites; including St.Vincent’s hospital, St.Georges hospital and Port Phillip prison.

Hour of operation: 8.00am – 4.30pm weekdays.  

Weekend Occupational therapy is conducted across both the St.Vincent’s hospital and St.Georges hospital sites.

St.Georges hospital: Saturday 8.30 - 2.30pm
St.Vincent’s hospital: Sunday 8.30 – 2.30pm

Equipment can be either purchased or hired from Occupational therapy following a hospital admission.  Costs and safe use of the equipment will be explained to patients.

Contact Us

• St Vincent’s Hospital, Occupational therapy department 9231 3850
• St George’s hospital, Occupational therapy department 9231 8561