Forbes Care - Occupational Therapy

04/08/2025

They say it takes a village to raise a child — but at Forbes Care, it takes a powerhouse crew of scheduling wizards and admin legends to managed calendars, allocate referrals, and get our OTs safely to their clients (with coffee in hand and GPS on point).

Meet our talented admin team: Evelyn, Brooke, Olivia and Harry — the magic behind the scenes at Forbes Care 🪄

28/07/2025

Meet Toni, one of our trusted Occupational Therapists here at Forbes Care. Toni brings a clear ability to conceptualise client function and identify risks within the home environment—making her a standout in home modification assessments. With experience across a wide range of minor modifications, Toni is known for building strong, trusting relationships with her clients and advocating for practical, meaningful changes. Her deep understanding of the NDIS process, combined with her application of Disability Discrimination legislation, has helped secure successful outcomes for many clients. Toni approaches every assessment with a commitment to learning, actively engaging in supervision and continuously developing her knowledge to ensure the best results for the people she supports.

25/07/2025

As OTs, we know walking isn't just one action — it’s a complex, coordinated series of movements designed to conserve energy and keep us stable. When assessing gait, we’re observing how well the body performs the six classical determinants — each one reducing vertical and lateral displacement for efficient, safe mobility:
🔁 Pelvic rotation – improves stride length
↘️ Pelvic tilt – reduces vertical displacement
🦵 Knee flexion during stance – allows smoother weight acceptance
🦶 Ankle dorsiflexion at heel strike – allows toe clearance
↗️ Ankle plantarflexion at toe-off – provides propulsion
↔️ Lateral pelvic shift – maintains centre of gravity over the stance leg
When any of these are compromised — due to pain, weakness, neuro conditions, fatigue or fear of falling — the result is often:
- Shortened stride
- Uneven weight distribution
- Increased fall risk
- Greater energy expenditure
🔧 This is where mobility aids become compensatory tools: they help restore rhythm, support missing biomechanics, and reduce the need for inefficient compensation patterns. Whether prescribing a walking stick, rollator, or addressing environmental barriers, we’re not just “handing out aids” — we’re supporting human movement systems.

23/07/2025

At Forbes Care, we are incredibly fortunate to be guided by the hardworking, values-driven, and deeply compassionate Anna.

Each morning, Anna is the first to arrive at our head office — setting the tone for the day ahead and ensuring every system is in place to support our clients and clinicians. With a team of over 20 occupational therapists working across South East Queensland, Anna works tirelessly to ensure everyone is prepared, informed, and well-supported in their roles.

But Anna’s leadership doesn’t stop at day-to-day operations. Throughout the week, she’s also actively connecting with other organisations, building partnerships, and welcoming potential new team members into the Forbes Care community. She plays a key role in shaping our growth journey — not just in numbers, but in culture, collaboration, and professional development.

Anna ensures our leadership team is always evolving too — encouraging each of us to lean into our own learning, lead with integrity, and stay anchored in the values that make Forbes Care the team we’re proud to be part of.

Thank you, Anna, for your unwavering commitment, your leadership, and your heart. We are truly lucky to have you.

21/07/2025

Struggling to build new routines or maintain positive habits? That’s where Occupational Therapy can help. OTs are trained in understanding human behaviour and daily routines. We support people to create sustainable, meaningful habits that align with their values and goals—not just what should get done, but what matters most to them.

💡 Let’s take Jess, for example:
Jess is a young adult who wants to improve her sleep routine. She knows scrolling on her phone late at night makes it hard to fall asleep, but changing the habit feels overwhelming.
Working with her OT, Jess:
✔️ Set a clear, values-based goal: “I want to feel more rested and alert for uni and work.”
✔️ Chose a simple cue: setting a 9:30pm phone alarm as a wind-down signal
✔️ Replaced the phone time with a “feel good” activity—like reading or listening to music
✔️ Tracked progress each night with a simple checklist
✔️ Reflected weekly with her OT to celebrate wins and troubleshoot tough nights

With OT support, Jess built a routine that supported her wellbeing—not through pressure, but with personalised, practical strategies.

18/07/2025

At Forbes Care, our occupational therapists travel extensively—supporting clients from Gympie to Brisbane. With such a mobile caseload, we recognise the importance of having dedicated office days to stay on top of the critical behind-the-scenes work that keeps our services running smoothly.

These days are essential for:

Communicating effectively with support coordinators
Organising equipment trials and orders
Reviewing home modification plans and diagrams
Writing detailed, high-quality functional capacity reports
To support this, our team has the flexibility to complete these productive days either from our dedicated workspace at the Forbes Care head office or remotely, depending on what works best for the individual and their role.

We believe that this balance between on-the-road impact and structured admin time is key to sustainable, high-quality care.

16/07/2025

For OTs, selecting the right transfer aid isn’t just about mobility — it’s about capacity, cognition, safety, environment, and carer support. From Sara Stedys to slide boards, standing hoists to lift recliners — each tool has its place if it aligns with the client’s presentation.

🔎 Key clinical considerations:
- Can they bear weight reliably?
- Do they have the trunk control or grip strength?
- What’s the cognitive load required to use the aid safely?
- Are carers trained? Is the environment suitable?
🚩 Red flags like skin integrity risks, inconsistent presentation, or unclear support ratios? That’s your cue to reassess.

At Forbes Care, we’ve created a quick reference AT Transfer Guide to support sound clinical reasoning in the field — because safe transfers start with smart choices.
📚 Want to learn more about our transfer assessment process or make a referral?
👉 www.forbes.care

14/07/2025

We’re more than colleagues—we’re a team that learns together, grows together, and genuinely values the work we do.

If you're an OT looking for purpose, support, and a place to thrive—we saved you a seat. 👉🏽 https://www.forbes.care/careers

13/07/2025

Our Director and Senior Occupational Therapist Kelly sat down with Cathy Love to share the journey of Forbes Care — from starting out solo to leading a powerhouse team of OTs across Queensland.
In this episode, Kelly talks about:
✔️ Building a strong, values-based workplace culture
✔️ Leading through change in the NDIS and health space
✔️ The real highs (and honest challenges) of scaling a purpose-driven business
We’re so proud of the work our team does and grateful for the chance to share what drives us every day.

🎧 Listen here: https://www.nacre.com.au/podcast-from-solopreneur-to-powerhouse-leading-change-and-building-culture

Kelly Forbes shares how she grew her OT team, built a strong culture, and tackled the 2025 NDIS changes with confidence and strategy.

11/07/2025

Clinical supervision is more than a tick-box—it’s a regular, relational, and reflective part of our team culture. Our OTs meet weekly or fortnightly face-to-face with a member of our experienced supervising team. These sessions are designed to:

🧠 Reflect on wins, challenges, and clinical decisions
🎯 Set and review learning goals based on caseload and interests
📊 Dive into caseload mix, performance insights, and planning
🤝 Build confidence and connection—because therapy is better when we’re supported too.

Each session is guided by our structured Caseload Review Template, ensuring no topic is missed and every therapist feels seen, heard, and valued.

We don’t just grow therapists. We grow humans—with heart, purpose, and clinical confidence. 💛

11/07/2025

Clinical supervision is more than a tick-box—it's a regular, relational, and reflective part of our team culture. Our OTs meet weekly or fortnightly face-to-face with a member of our experienced supervising team. These sessions are designed to:

🧠 Reflect on wins, challenges, and clinical decisions
🎯 Set and review learning goals based on caseload and interests
📊 Dive into caseload mix, performance insights, and planning
🤝 Build confidence and connection—because therapy is better when we’re supported too.

Each session is guided by our structured Caseload Review Template, ensuring no topic is missed and every therapist feels seen, heard, and valued.

We don’t just grow therapists. We grow humans—with heart, purpose, and clinical confidence. 💛

10/07/2025

Meet Beryl 👋
At 78, Beryl lives independently with the support of her Level 3 Home Care Package. Recently, she began experiencing difficulty standing up from her armchair, which was affecting her comfort and confidence at home.

Beryl reached out to Forbes Care for support, and one of our experienced occupational therapists visited her at home to assess the issue. After a thorough functional assessment, the OT recommended an electric recliner chair tailored to Beryl’s clinical needs—one that would provide postural support while assisting with safe transfers.

Together, Beryl and her OT attended her local assistive technology supplier, where they trialled a range of suitable chairs. Once the ideal option was selected, the OT completed a full report and submitted it to Beryl’s Home Care Package provider for approval.

When the chair was delivered, our OT returned to ensure everything was set up correctly and provided Beryl with education on safe use and how to operate the controls confidently.

Today, Beryl is enjoying her new chair and feeling more secure in her daily routine—because small changes can make a big difference.

📞 Know someone like Beryl who could benefit from OT support through their Home Care Package?
Get in touch:
Phone: (07) 5220 8909
Email: hello@forbes.care
Referral Form: www.forbes.care/referrals