Online Learning and Support

The New Normal: Navigating Everyday Life During COVID-19

We are pleased to share that the follow-up to the (very) popular ebook "Normal Life Has Been Disrupted" is now available to download and share. Developed by Lorrae Mynard, this new guide (“The New Normal: Navigating Everyday Life During COVID-19”) explores ideas and prompts for reflection to help tailor a new normal that’s right for you. Download the full guide here.

The follow up ebook has also been popular with the international audience and has been translated in the following languages:

Download the German guide here.

Download the Spanish guide here.

Download the Arabic guide here.

Normal life has been disrupted: Managing the disruption caused by COVID-19

COVID-19 is causing widespread disruption to occupational participation for people across the world. While developing recommendations for supporting occupational therapists and consumers as part of my organisation’s local response I realised there is a great need for similar information in the wider community. Drawing from core occupational therapy concepts and my learnings from the WFOT Disaster Management for Occupational Therapists course I have compiled this resource to support people in managing the disruption to daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guide presents occupational concepts of productivity, leisure, self-care, environment, routine and roles in plain language and presents suggestions and examples of how to adapt and manage the disruption to occupational participation. It was designed for use by the general public. Occupational therapists may find it a useful resource for supporting consumers with managing the present situation, and for sharing with others in their own personal and professional networks. An accompanying pdf poster is available to promote the guide. The link and/or pdf guide and poster may be shared freely.

Due to the impact of this guide internationally, it has now been translated into other languages:

Download the Italian guide here. 

Download the French guide here.

Download the Chinese guide here.

Download the Korean guide here

Download the Arabic guide here

Download the Portuguese guide here

Download the Czech guide here

Download the German guide here

Download the Spanish guide here

Download the Japanese guide here

Download the Tamil guide here

Download the Sinhala guide here

View the Hebrew translation which has been developed into a narrated powerpoint presentation

- Lorrae Mynard, Occupational Therapist and OTA Member

CareSearch resources for allied health professionals responding to and managing COVID-19 in Australia including information on palliative care.

COVID-19 has been identified as a key issue for health and aged care. This means that palliative care services are likely to experience increased demand and services may need to be provided across the community including aged care facilities and private homes. In the event of limited service and staff availability, health care professionals with little experience in palliative care may be called upon to support people with palliative care needs. Access to information will help ensure appropriate care is provided and that carers are adequately supported.

The page with links to some of the key COVID-19 resources for allied health is part of a collection of pages which list resources for palliative care and care at the end of life in the COVID-19 context and according to role, setting, or source. In some cases this includes general information that is highly relevant but not specific to palliative care.

Links to resources for the following groups and services form part of this collection and are available from the new CareSearch COVID-19 and Palliative Care page:

• Aged Care
• Diverse Populations
• GPs and Primary Care
• Hospitals
• Nurses
• Paediatrics
• Patients, Families sand Carers
• Specialist Palliative Care.

CareSearch is a member of the Australian COVID-19 Palliative Care Working Group (ACPCWG) formed by Palliative Care Australia. Other partners are Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM), Palliative Care Nurses Australia (PCNA), Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (AChPM) of the Royal College of Physicians (RACP), End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC), Paediatric Palliative Care Australia and New Zealand (PAPCANZ), and caring@home. 

WFOT Disaster Management for Occupational Therapists

Designed for occupational therapists, assistants and students, the program may also benefit climate change adaptation professionals, development planners, project implementers and policy makers.

Clinical Reasoning - Approach to COVID Considerations

This short 4-minute video and one page diagram on Clinical Reasoning - Approach to COVID Considerations have been designed to support members to make informed decisions about their practice during COVID.