My name is Jelmer, I’m an Occupational Therapist with more than 20 years experience of working with older people and their family caregivers in the public and private health sector.

I am passionate about promoting improved health and wellbeing, through comprehensive aged care assessment, complex care coordination, falls risk minimisation, caregiver education, chronic disease care planning, health coaching and cognitive assessment.

I help older people and their families navigate the healthcare system, taking away the stress in finding the right support and tailoring care to each person's unique needs.

I have a strong interest in supporting people living with dementia to live their best lives in the comfort of their own home, by empowering caregivers through education, future planning and wellbeing support. When we support carers, we directly support the people in their care, by reducing avoidable admissions to hospital or residential care due to carer burnout. 

My style is warm and empathetic, empowering carers and clients to take a proactive and preventative approach to their health and wellbeing.

I promote a partnership model between people with complex health needs and their caregivers, advocating for caregiver wellbeing as the therapeutic medium to achieving the best outcomes for loved ones in their care. I utilise a strengths-based and person-centred approach, focussing on what individuals CAN do, not what they have lost.

Taking a holistic approach to care coordination is important to me. Understanding a person’s unique history, skills and interests enables me to really personalise support to help a person thrive.

Too often service providers or supports require people to compromise their needs to fit into a standard mould, whether it be through long waiting lists, limited flexibility in appointment times or requiring people to travel to a clinic to access support. I work with clients from the comfort and convenience of their own home, through home visits and telehealth, reducing the need for clients to travel to appointments when mobility and driving independence become a barrier to accessing support. 

Navigating the healthcare system can be daunting. Families who do not live locally may find it hard to know who to ask for assistance. Let me do that. I can expertly and efficiently guide families to find the right local supports to promote independence, quality of life and meaningful engagement with the community.