Atlantic Healthcare Training. Allied Health Assistant Course (Aged Care) FAQ s. What can I expect from the Atlantic Allied Health Assistant course?

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Melvyn Wheeler
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1 Atlantic Healthcare Training Allied Health Assistant Course (Aged Care) FAQ s What can I expect from the Atlantic Allied Health Assistant course? Atlantic has been offering Allied Health Assistant (AHA) training since You can expect the following from our course: Educators/Staff All sessions and teaching materials have been developed by senior therapists in response to local industry needs. All sessions are delivered by Senior Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech Pathologists with extensive experience working with older adults. We have an Occupational Therapist with a post-graduate qualification in Tertiary and Adult Education. Our Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist presenters have a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. They review our training regularly. Expected Outcomes The Atlantic AHA programme will help students develop appropriate knowledge and skills to uphold Accreditation Standards. Our programme is focussed on therapy interventions for the older adult. Students will develop a skills set applicable to residential care, transitional care, community care (many courses offer generic content that dilutes the skills set for this area of practice) We ensure that students can uphold key organisational needs such as ACFI and Accreditation. (often not addressed in other courses due to their generic nature) The Atlantic AHA programme develops the Allied Health Assistant s confidence to communicate effectively with supervisors, reflect upon work practices, initiate quality improvement strategies for personal and organisational benefit Commitment to learning positive learning experiences Educators utilise adult learning principles to respectfully enhance the knowledge and skills that participants already have. Atlantic has minimum requirements for face-to-face attendance, learning tasks and practical experience. Atlantic accepts students who have experience in the aged care industry (eg: as carers, therapy assistants wishing to up-skill, hotel services, etc). All applications are assessed on merit so the peer group is committed to learning opportunities and outcomes. Our programme is flexible. We can quickly respond to industry changes/feedback.

2 Will my training uphold the Accreditation standards? Yes! The Residential Aged Care Standards and Home Care Standards make reference to staff needing appropriate knowledge and skills (see below). They do not specify that Allied Health Assistants must have a Cert III or IV in Allied Health Assistance. Atlantic has been an integral part of the health industry since 1992 and is well positioned to develop relevant knowledge and skills targeted to relevant Accreditation Standards. In addition, we will assist you to actively support your site in the Accreditation process. Residential Aged Care Standards Education and staff development: Management and staff have appropriate knowledge and skills to perform their roles effectively Home Care Standards Human resource management: The service provider manages human resources to ensure that adequate numbers of appropriately skilled and trained staff/volunteers are available for the safe delivery of care and services to service users Do you offer a Certificate III and/or IV in Allied Health course? No. Certificate III and IV courses in Allied Health Assistance are qualifications delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs). Atlantic refers to our programme as industry recognised training based on the positive feedback we receive from students and clients (see Testimonials). What is the difference between Atlantic s Industry Recognised Training and a Certificate III or IV (Allied Health Assistance) qualification? Atlantic s Industry Recognised Training Guaranteed experienced, qualified therapists delivering face-to-face training Relevant, flexible learning, targeted to the aged care industry in Western Australia Carefully selected participants with a commitment to the industry which enhances class experiences and learning outcomes All participants are provided with a Certificate of Completion for their 12 or 16 week programme (depending upon unit selection ie. Allied Health Assistant or OTA or PTA)

3 Certificates III and IV in Allied Health Assistance Certificates III and IV are nationally recognised qualifications delivered by Registered Training Organisations (Note: Atlantic elected to cease operating as a Registered Training Organisation in 2004) Certificate III and IV qualifications are comprised of a set of Units of Competence, some of which are prescribed Core units and others are Electives. Cert III and IV qualifications vary widely between providers in terms of: o content of units o electives delivered o the amount of face-to-face contact with educators (if any) o the relevant industry qualifications and experience of trainers (they will all have a Cert IV in Workplace Assessment and Training but may not be allied health professionals (ie. Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech Pathologists) It is always best to contact a registered training organisation directly to find out the above information. My employer says I must have a Certificate III or IV. Can I do your course? Atlantic does not offer a Certificate III or IV in Allied Health Assistance. If you are unsure if this course will meet your employer s requirements, we encourage you to check and provide them with this FAQ document. We welcome enquiries from relevant Human Resource departments, Managers, Therapists and therapy assistants to determine if our training meets your organisation s needs. We also encourage you to visit the relevant page on our website to see feedback from our students. We offer an industry-recognised course that: is specifically targeted to working with older adults develops the appropriate knowledge and skills (per Accreditation Standards) for implementing therapy programmes for older adults Has presenters who are all registered therapists and extensively experienced in the aged care sector Has the capacity to provide flexible, dynamic training that can readily respond to industry changes and developments Encompasses core industry issues such as ACFI and Accreditation to support organisational needs is tailored to the local aged care industry based on feedback and experiences from organisations in Western Australia

4 Staff profiles Kirsten Campbell (Occupational Therapist) With over 20 years experience in a wide range of practice settings, Kirsten also has a Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training and a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary and Adult Education (Murdoch University). Kirsten delivered the Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance at CIT (formally TAFE) for nine years. She has worked with Atlantic since 2013 as a Senior Occupational Therapist and as Care Services Manager since Elizabeth Oliver (Occupational Therapist) Elizabeth is a Senior Occupational Therapist at Catholic Homes Incorporated, with 10 years experience in community and residential care settings as well as having lectured university students in Gerontology. Elizabeth was awarded the Emerging Leader Award for Catholic Health Australia in 2014 and the following year, she was part of the team who won the Rotary Allied Health Excellence Award for Innovation and the Rotary Allied Health Excellence Team of the Year. Melissa Trinca (Speech Pathologist) Melissa s resume includes a Masters of Speech Pathology, Graduate Diploma in Linguistics and a Certificate III in Dementia Studies. With extensive experience training medical and allied health personnel, Melissa offers practical education in the areas of dysphagia, meal time management, communication and dementia specific strategies across these topics. Gaye Parkin-Rendtorff (Physiotherapist) Having been instrumental in developing Atlantic s Therapy Assistants course in 1992, Gaye continues to inspire students with her 25 years of experience and knowledge as a clinician and educator. Gaye continues to work in aged care facilities and is actively involved as a committee member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association s gerontology group. Nona Oliver (Occupational Therapist) Nona brings with her over 30 years experience from all areas of community care and a strong background in neurology, geriatrics and physical disability. Nona worked as a State Advisor for the Department of Veterans Affairs before joining Atlantic, and was awarded the OT Australia WA Elizabeth Adams Bequest Award in 2011, recognising her efforts advocating for the profession at a national level. Shelley Smith (Occupational Therapist) With over 35 years experience in a range of practice settings, including the Independent Living Centre, TAFE, hospitals and community organisations, Shelley s areas of expertise area in equipment provision, seating, wheelchairs and pressure care. Shelley has presented papers at numerous conferences and won an ANZAC Fellowship to study and undertake research in New Zealand.

Testimonials I really enjoyed the course because of the adult learning environment and loved the fact that, although I have been in aged care for some time, I learnt lots of new information and

5 Testimonials I really enjoyed the course because of the adult learning environment and loved the fact that, although I have been in aged care for some time, I learnt lots of new information and techniques. It was also great to share experiences and network with other TAs. Dee In motivating myself to go back to study at the age of 60 to learn further about the job I am doing as a PTA, I joined Atlantic s course after it was recommended by the PT at work. So glad I did as I learnt so much and enjoyed the course immensely. Margaret Very professional, very helpful. We were always asked if assistance was needed and supported to learn and succeed. Ben This course was just what I needed to help me in my role. I work on my own so Atlantic s course gave me all the relevant information to not only complete my work but to contribute to Accreditation and to bloom in my position. Stacey Competent, friendly, experienced presenters who were easy to understand. New friends sharing their experiences from different facilities also made the course exciting. Lenny Very informative. I ve learnt a lot especially about ACFI and Accreditation. The presenters make the content easy to understand. Thanks to our presenters for making every lesson fun and informative. Ana Thank you to the Atlantic team for doing a great job and well done on your excellent and comprehensive course. Supervising Occupational Therapist S. has enjoyed doing the course and now has appropriate skills and knowledge to stamp ownership on our Lifestyle Program. This was on our PCI log as quality improvement following a recommendation from the Agency so S. has effectively earned us a tick. Thank you for all your hard work. Facility Manager Atlantic Healthcare Training 45 Coronation Street, North Perth WA 6006 PO Box 77, Mt. Hawthorn WA 6915 Ph: (08) Fax: (08)

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