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Do you rely solely on pen-and-paper screening tools like the MoCA to assess your clients' cognition? Discover why observing real-life activities is crucial, and learn a step-by-step process for conducting effective non-standardised functional cognitive assessments.

Episode Summary: In this episode of the How to Be a Better OT podcast, host Clare Batkin dives into non-standardised functional cognitive assessments. Clare explains why observing a client completing a functional task, like making a cup of tea or going to the hospital newsagent with a specific goal in mind, often provides better insights into their real-world safety and independence than standard screening tools. She walks you through a step-by-step process covering how to choose the "just right" activity, set up the environment, run the assessment using the pause, prompt, praise framework, and effectively document your findings to support clear and safe recommendations.

Key Takeaways:

• The "Why" Over Pen-and-Paper: Learn why functional assessments reveal the true interaction of cognitive, physical, and sensory deficits that screening tools might miss.
• Choosing the "Just Right" Task: How to select an activity that is relevant, safe, and challenging enough to reveal difficulties without overwhelming the client, complete with case studies (like Mrs. Smith's showering assessment and Jon's meal prep).
• Strategic Preparation: Discover how to modify tasks for physical limitations, manage environment logistics, and even embed memory tests into your pre-assessment setup.
• The Pause, Prompt, Praise Framework: A breakdown of how to run the assessment by holding back to allow problem-solving, delivering graded prompts (from general to explicit), and offering the right kind of praise to keep clients engaged.
• Documentation and Recommendations: Tips for using data collection templates, choosing between step-by-step or subheading documentation styles, and translating your clinical findings into actionable recommendations for NDIS planners and hospital discharge teams.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Deep Dive: Watch the in-depth on-demand webinar on functional cognitive assessments, plus get documentation examples and tutorials on self-care and standardised cognitive assessments by joining the Connector Membership.
• Advanced Learning: Access specific recordings on how to conduct and write recommendations for meal preparation assessments, including how to overlap assessments with capacity-building therapy, by joining the Alliance Membership.

If you found this step-by-step guide to functional cognitive assessments helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow OT! Be sure to tune in next time when we will be talking about how to effectively address pressure injury risks, from identifying risks to making practical recommendations.  

Want to continue learning with Clare? Here are your options:

• Check out my FREE Learning Library full of resources and courses
• Sign-up for one-on-one or group training and support
• Book a time for a chat to see how I can help
• Sign-up for a Your OT Tutor membership
• Follow me on social media – vist my Linktree for the links you need!

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How to Prescribe Assistive Technology

Do you feel pressured to "just write a letter" for equipment funding without doing a proper assessment? Or are you worried your prescribed equipment will end up abandoned in a corner? Discover the comprehensive step-by-step process for prescribing Assistive Technology (AT) that ensures your clients get exactly what they need.

Episode Summary: In this episode of the How to Be a Better OT podcast, host Clare Batkin tackles the essential core skill of prescribing Assistive Technology (AT). Whether it is a simple shower chair or a more complex mobility scooter, Clare breaks down an 8-step framework inspired by the best practices recommendations of Australian OT researcher Dr. Natasha Layton. She walks you through everything from identifying the true functional goal using the HAAT model, to managing equipment trials, navigating complex funding applications, and preventing AT abandonment through proper follow-up and evaluation.

Key Takeaways:

• Identifying the Goal: Learn why you must focus on the functional issue rather than jumping straight to the equipment. Discover how to use the HAAT model to thoroughly map out a client's needs and environment.
• AT Features: How to establish a clear list of required AT features before contacting suppliers, using a simple shower chair as a practical example to consider size, safe working loads, and environmental constraints.
• Trialling and Compromising: Discover the logistics of planning successful AT trials, working collaboratively with equipment suppliers, and helping your clients weigh up the pros and cons to make empowered decisions.
• Navigating Funding: Tips for writing complex funding applications (like the NDIS) by meticulously reviewing quotes and using your trial data to justify cost-effective choices.
• Preventing AT Abandonment: Why your job isn't done after approval. Learn how to use the "Who, What, How" framework for implementation and training, and conduct long-term evaluation using tools like the Quest 2.0 or PIADS.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Freebie: Download the PDF mapping out the AT process for an electric riser recliner chair, plus access free webinars on various AT, in the Free Learning Library.
• Deep Dive: Watch the "Just write me a letter" conference presentation on the Learning Library or YouTube.
• Tool: Access the PoMoDATT (Powered Mobility Device Assessment Training Tool) assessment tool for mobility scooter or powered wheelchair trials.
• Deep Dive: Get full webinars on the AT process and the "Who, What, How" training framework by joining the Connector or Alliance Membership.
• Course: Access the Community AT Series (created with Lauren Hart from Otuition) on wheelchairs, commodes, scooters, beds, and recliners, available as a bundle or individual purchases.
• Advanced Learning: Join the Your OT Tutor Journal Club to access a library of recordings discussing topics like end-of-life AT prescription, 24-hour positioning, AT outcome measures and overcoming barriers to AT use.
• Resource: Read more about the 8 steps in the textbook chapter by Dr. Natasha Layton: Layton, N. (2017). Assistive Technology. In M. Curtin, M. Egan, & J. Adams (Eds.), Occupational therapy for people experiencing illness, injury or impairment : promoting occupation and participation (7th ed., pp. 648-670). Elsevier. 

If you found this step-by-step guide to AT prescription helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow OT! Be sure to tune in next time when we will be covering how to complete functional cognitive assessments.

Want to continue learning with Clare? Here are your options:

• Check out my FREE Learning Library full of resources and courses
• Sign-up for one-on-one or group training and support
• Book a time for a chat to see how I can help
• Sign-up for a Your OT Tutor membership
• Follow me on social media – vist my Linktree for the links you need!

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Are you taking your patients on home visits without a clear plan, or wondering if you really need to use a standardised home assessment tool? Discover how to conduct efficient, safe, and goal-oriented home assessments, whether you are facilitating a hospital discharge or doing a community review.

Episode Summary: In this episode of the How to Be a Better OT podcast, host Clare Batkin breaks down exactly what goes into an occupational therapy home assessment. Clare explains the different formats a visit can take, from taking a patient home from the hospital, to conducting access-only visits, and even using telehealth. She walks you through a step-by-step process covering crucial pre-assessment risk planning, prioritising your room-by-room observations, and formulating practical recommendations that actually align with your client's long-term goals.

Key Takeaways:

• Choosing the Right Format: Learn how to decide between an in-person visit with the client, an access visit without the client, or a telehealth assessment using photos or video walkthroughs.
• Safety First: Discover why you must complete a home visit risk assessment before every visit, establish clear boundaries with your workplace, and always "park like a getaway driver".
• Room-by-Room Priorities: A breakdown of exactly what to look for at the access points, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and living room, keeping your client's energy levels and specific functional goals in mind.
• Standardised Assessments: The pros and cons of using structured tools, and a look at the differences between the Westmead Home Safety Assessment and the HOME FAST screening tool.
• Making Recommendations: Why you must consider funding resources, prognosis, and long-term housing plans, and work collaboratively when making your recommendations.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Freebie: Watch the short video on home visit risk assessments and download the prompt sheet to create your own checklist in the Free Learning Library.
• Tool: Access the long and short versions of the Westmead Home Safety Assessment 
• Tool: Access the HOME FAST (Home Falls and Accident Screening Tool) for client self-assessment or the clinician version.
• Deep Dive: Get the full home assessment recorded webinar, downloadable worksheets, and a tutorial on when and why to do a home visit by joining the Connector Membership.
• Advanced Learning: Join the Alliance Membership for further advanced clinical content, resources, and on-demand webinars.

If you found this step-by-step guide to home assessments helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow OT! Be sure to tune in next time when we will be switching from assessment to intervention and covering our next core skill: how to prescribe assistive technology.

Want to continue learning with Clare? Here are your options:

• Check out my FREE Learning Library full of resources and courses
• Sign-up for one-on-one or group training and support
• Book a time for a chat to see how I can help
• Sign-up for a Your OT Tutor membership
• Follow me on social media – vist my Linktree for the links you need!

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Are you tired of handing out generic education pamphlets that your clients never actually use? Discover how to move beyond the basic handout and deliver client education that results in meaningful change.

Episode Summary: In this episode of the How to Be a Better OT podcast, host Clare Batkin tackles a topic relevant to every OT clinical caseload: how to provide effective client education. It’s not just about rattling off information to tick a box; it’s about providing the right information, at the right time, and in the right way to empower your clients as active decision-makers. Clare introduces her signature RALFEY framework to help you evaluate client readiness, adapt your language, and ensure your clients truly understand and apply your recommendations.

Key Takeaways:

• The RALFEY Framework: A step-by-step acronym (Readiness, Amount, Language, Format, Evaluation, You're Not Done Yet) designed to help you structure impactful education sessions.
• R is for Readiness: Learn why you must think about what type of information your client is ready for before jumping into it. 
• A is for Amount: Consider how much time you have and how much your client will be able to process.
• L is for Language: Discover how co-designing examples with clients ensures your education is culturally relevant and matches their health literacy.
• F is for Format: Why you should challenge your "autopilot" written handout approach and explore creative options like using videos, podcasts, or even sticking QR codes directly onto a client's splint.
• E is for Evaluation: Understand the danger of simply asking, "Do you have any questions?" and consider alternatives such as practical demonstrations and gamification.
• Y is for You’re not done yet: This is all about the evaluation that happens after the session is done, so you continue to improve your approach for your current and future clients. 

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Freebie: Access Annette Tonkin’s guide on working with clients with preconceived ideas, as well as over 100 other free resources in the Learning Library.
• Deep Dive: Get the full client education tutorial and download the step-by-step worksheet by joining the Connector Membership.
• Advanced Learning: Learn how to navigate conflicting goals and motivate hard-to-engage clients in the Alliance Membership.
• Tool: Gamify your group education sessions and test client knowledge using Kahoot.

If you found this breakdown of the RALFEY framework helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow OT! 

Be sure to tune in next time when we will cover what an OT home assessment actually involves, whether you are facilitating a safe hospital discharge or conducting a community review.

Want to continue learning with Clare? Here are your options:

• Check out my FREE Learning Library full of resources and courses
• Sign-up for one-on-one or group training and support
• Book a time for a chat to see how I can help
• Sign-up for a Your OT Tutor membership
• Follow me on social media – vist my Linktree for the links you need!

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Does writing a Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) for the NDIS feel daunting? Or are your OT reports constantly getting knocked back for "not enough evidence"?

Episode Summary: In this episode of the How to Be a Better OT podcast, host Clare Batkin breaks down one of the most common (and complex) services provided by occupational therapists working within the NDIS: the Functional Capacity Assessment. Clare shares her 3-stage framework (Preparation, Assessment, and Report Writing) to help you gather the right information, choose the best standardised assessments, and write reports that clearly align with NDIS "Reasonable and Necessary" criteria.

Key Takeaways:

• The Preparation Phase: Learn why you should never "wing" an initial assessment and how to use OT models (like the PEO) to prep your interview guide.
• The Assessment Phase: Discover the crucial components of your information gathering including clinical interviews, functional observations, home environment checks, standardised assessments and liaison with others.
• Writing the Report: How to translate your findings into plain language for NDIS planners, format for maximum readability, and include the right level of detail.
• The Follow-Up: Why your job isn't done when you hit "submit," and how tracking the outcomes of your reports builds your clinical reasoning and confidence, and improves outcomes for your clients.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Freebie: Download the FCA Process Flowchart from Section 6 of the Learning Library, to map out your assessments 
• Freebie: Access the PROOF Framework Worksheet from Section 6 of the Learning Library to ensure your recommendations are specific and evidence-based.
• Freebie: Download the Executive Summary Example from Section 6 of the Learning Library to use on the front page of your long reports 
• Free Tutorials: Watch the videos on WHODAS 2.0 Scoring, the Modified Barthel Index online calculator, and the webinar on Describing Function & Standardised Assessments in the Learning Library or on YouTube. 
• Freebie: Read the guide and conference presentation on assessing clients with Invisible Illnesses (ME/CFS) in Section 5 of the Learning Library.
• Blog Post: Read “Improve your report writing with the PEO approach” to optimise your writing experience and efficiency.
• Course: New to the scheme? Sign up for the Navigating the NDIS course.
• Course: Get the comprehensive OT Guide to Completing a Functional Capacity Assessment with 8 hours of CPD, including case studies and quizzes.
• FCA Template: Purchase the white-labelled FCA Report Template (one-per-workplace purchase), featuring guiding comments to help you gather the right details.
• Deep Dive: Join the Connector Membership for full webinars on functional mobility, cognitive assessments, home assessments, WHODAS 2.0 and Modified Barthel Index.
• Advanced Learning: Join the Alliance Membership for access to the Connector tutorials, along with advanced clinical content and access to some NDIS courses.

If you found this breakdown of the FCA process helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your colleagues! 

And be sure to tune in next time when we cover our next core skill: how to provide effective client education.

Want to continue learning with Clare? Here are your options:

• Check out my FREE Learning Library full of resources and courses
• Sign-up for one-on-one or group training and support
• Book a time for a chat to see how I can help
• Sign-up for a Your OT Tutor membership
• Follow me on social media – vist my Linktree for the links you need!

Tell Clare what you think here!

Do you feel robotic asking the exact same questions during every hospital initial assessment? Discover how to adapt your clinical interviews for every patient while effectively planning their safe and timely discharge.

Episode Summary: In this episode of the How to Be a Better OT podcast, host Clare Batkin breaks down the absolute bread and butter of acute and rehab care: the hospital initial assessment. Drawing on a decade of experience, Clare walks you through the entire process, from essential pre-assessment file reviews to documenting your findings. Whether you are a student, a new grad, or transitioning into a hospital setting, this episode will help you gather the right information to get your patients home safely and efficiently.

Key Takeaways:

• The Ultimate Goal: Learn why the overarching purpose of any hospital initial assessment always comes back to safe and timely discharge planning.
• The Prep Work You Can't Skip: Why reviewing medical files and getting handovers from the multidisciplinary team (MDT) is crucial before you even step foot in the patient's room.
• What to Ask (and What to Skip): A breakdown of the core interview components, including diagnosis, social history, home environment, and previous vs. current function.
• Adapting Your Approach: How to tailor your questions depending on the patient's age, diagnosis, and unique discharge concerns.
• Documentation Hacks: Why SOAP notes don't work for initial assessments, and how to use subheadings and "sticker templates" for faster, more consistent note-writing.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Freebie: Download the Hospital Initial Assessment Form from section 5 of the Learning Library to help guide your clinical interviews
• Freebie: Access the Documentation Examples in Section 6 of the free Learning Library: 
• Deep Dive: Join the Connector Membership for full webinars on how to conduct and document an initial hospital assessment (including a simulated demo), functional mobility assessments, functional cognitive assessments, and assistive tech prescription.
• Advanced Learning: Join the Alliance Membership for advanced clinical content and NDIS courses.

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow OT. 

Make sure to tune in to our next episode, where we'll shift our focus to the private sector: How to do a Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA)! 

Want to continue learning with Clare? Here are your options:

• Check out my FREE Learning Library full of resources and courses
• Sign-up for one-on-one or group training and support
• Book a time for a chat to see how I can help
• Sign-up for a Your OT Tutor membership
• Follow me on social media – vist my Linktree for the links you need!

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Want to become a more confident, competent occupational therapist but don't know exactly where to focus your learning and professional development?

Episode Summary: In this debut episode of the How to Be a Better OT podcast, host and "Your OT Tutor" founder Clare Batkin introduces her mission to make professional development simple, practical, and worth it for OTs. Clare shares her 17-year journey through diverse clinical settings and unveils her signature framework: The Foundations of OT Success. Whether you are a student, a new grad, or an experienced clinician, this podcast will help you develop the core skills you need to excel and love what you do.

Key Takeaways:

• Meet Your Host: Learn about Clare's diverse 17-year OT career, spanning from acute ICU to community NDIS, and how her passion for clinical education led to the creation of Your OT Tutor.
• The Foundations of OT Success: A high-level breakdown of the core skills every OT needs, from "Thinking like an OT" and "Being an OT Detective," to solving problems that change lives.
• The Missing Link in OT Education: Discover why Foundation 1, "Empower Yourself," is the crucial first step for providing the energy and brain space needed for developing as an OT.
• A Sneak Peek at the Podcast: Find out what to expect in Series 1 ("How-To" guides for core OT skills) and Series 2 (Clare’s take on hot topics in the OT world).

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Take the Free Self-Reflection Quiz to identify your learning priorities based on the Foundations of OT Success
• Access the free Your OT Tutor Learning Library, featuring over 100 resources for OTs and allied health professionals
• Connect with Clare and sign-up for her LinkedIn newsletter here
• Join Clare on Echo, the new social media platform exclusively for allied health professionals

If you found this introduction helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow OT who wants to grow in their career! 

Want to continue learning with Clare? Here are your options:

• Check out my FREE Learning Library full of resources and courses
• Sign-up for one-on-one or group training and support
• Book a time for a chat to see how I can help
• Sign-up for a Your OT Tutor membership
• Follow me on social media – vist my Linktree for the links you need!