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Community Physiotherapist for the Interior Health Authority Laura Kuypers, B. MR PT.
Find out more about her exciting career and contributions by clicking below My Job
Job Description: I assess and treat clients in their own homes.
What's a day in the life of your position like? The first thing I do is triage any new referrals to figure what is the most critical issue that needs to be done that day. I’ll plan my day, make appointments, liaise with any other health care team members that I need to, and then head on the road to do assessments and/or treat clients in their homes. After I’ve seen everyone I need to, I’ll come back to the office to do some paperwork and charting.
What sort of things do you do at clients homes? I’ll make recommendations about equipment needs, create home exercise programs, and provide expertise on home modifications they may need. Often times, I’ll liaise with other health care team members – occupational therapists, home care nursing, physicians, long term care, home support, or equipment suppliers – and we’ll go out in teams to help the client.
Who do you work with? Officially we work with all ages, but the majority of my clients are seniors.
What sort of tools do you work with? A lot of mobility aids – I need to have specialized training to teach people to use crutches, walkers, canes, wheelchairs, transfer aids, mechanical lifts, bath mobility equipment, and exercise equipment. As far as non-physical tools one would need in physiotherapy, you need to be a people person, a good listener, and you need to respect a client’s wishes and right to say no and respect what they want. It’s them who set their goals, not me. Above all, you need to be flexible and caring.
My Career
What's been your career path thus far? I’ve always been a physiotherapist – I’m coming up on 20 years in the industry. I started off in private practice then moved into acute care in large and small hospital settings. That was good, but I thought it’d be cool to actually visit clients and help them live their lives to the fullest on a long-term basis, so I moved to community care.
What were the main factors for staying in community care as opposed to going back to a hospital setting? There’s a bunch of factors keeping me as a community physiotherapist. The main reasons are the autonomy in my work environment and the ability to work with a varied clientele in their homes.
Why’d you choose physiotherapy as a career? I’ve always been a people person, and I knew I wanted to be in a profession that helped people. Medicine wasn’t where my heart was, but something in the health industry was. I’m an active person, and I wanted to help people get back into an active fulfilling life. Physiotherapy is a great way to achieve that, and I love helping people along the way.
What’s the best thing about your job? The clients I work with! They have wonderful life experiences and stories to tell, and their motivation to stay independent and to get better fast is extremely inspiring.
My History
Major projects you’ve accomplished: Recently, I’ve been involved in updating and training staff in a program that helps clients access ceiling lifts/mobility aids. Truly, any spare time I have had in my career has been spent working with my unions.
Why’s that? I have a hard time saying no! Union activity is really important. I don’t mind talking to management, and I’m pretty confident when I do so. My mother was the Minister of Labour in Manitoba, so I know the importance of the labour movement and the great things unions can do for professional employees.
What are some typical issues you tackle? The issues my clients deal with almost always centre on a desire to remain independent at home while facing functional difficulties. It can be that they have trouble getting off the couch to answer the door, or they can’t get in and out of bed. They might not be able to get upstairs to go to the washroom or they’re having frequent falls. I come in to figure out if they need home support and to hopefully help people maintain their safety and independence in their home setting.
Hugest hurdle you’ve had to overcome: The hugest for me personally is, regardless of what I may think the client needs, the client has the final say. They have the right to refuse my recommendations. Balancing that is part of the job, but it’s difficult sometimes. If a client feels comfortable enough to say no, then I feel I have done a good job at establishing a respectful relationship with them and we can then try to work towards more mutually acceptable recommendations. Another huge hurdle is a lack of funding for clients who need expensive equipment and clients without a lot of friends or family support to help get them through their rehabilitation.
My Thoughts
What do you think is in the future for BC? In health care, we are facing a number of challenges because of the aging population. We have an increasing amount of clients who are in need of help from the system and decreasing funds and staffing levels. I think there will be more community focused health care programs, which will create a huge need for people like me. If we can keep people out of the hospitals, it costs the system less.
What is the value of Professionals to BC? As a whole, I think we are highly educated people who take great pride in what we do. More often than not, we go the extra mile to further the province. We have lots of education. We’ve passed strict qualification criteria to receive licenses and accreditations. Above all, we are accountable to the public.
What does the phrase Professionals Making a Difference in BC mean to you? Professionals go to work every day feeling like they can make a difference to the quality of life to another individual or the safety of the population as a whole. Professionals take pride in what they do, and that pride shows in the work they end up doing and the outcomes they produce.
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