Juniper OT lighting up lives

You only need to spend a couple of minutes with Ciarain Hoey at Juniper Ella Williams to see why the residents light up when they see him.

The much-loved Occupational Therapist not only brings joy to the Residential Aged Care Home residents, but he is supporting them to remain as engaged and stimulated as possible so they can continue to have a life well lived.

“This year I introduced a mindfulness program, and the response has been amazing. The sessions incorporate physical and mental relaxation and with everything that has gone on this year, the residents have reported that they feel more relaxed,” Ciarain said.

Ciarain also manages the lifestyle activities and daily activity calendar, and regularly helps in the home’s café.

“On Monday, we start the week with a bus trip, and then from Tuesday to Friday the residents start their morning with a physical activity, which is then followed by a cognitive activity, and then after lunch, they do a social or sensory activity,” Ciarain said.

“There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes but doing everything I do and seeing how happy the residents are, it makes it all worth it. I love what I do, and I love doing it for them,” Ciarain said.

This year, OT week runs from 24-30 October and the theme is “What OT means to me”. For Ciarain, OT means everything to him.

“I am proud to be an OT. I try my hardest to make the residents here feel safe and happy. I want to try and keep them all as stimulated and as engaged as possible within their level of function.”

“Seeing my residents smile, brings me the most joy. I love providing them with activities that they find exciting and fun,” Ciarain added.

Since graduating from Curtin University in 2015, Ciarain has worked both interstate and across Perth in applied research, hospitals and mental health.

“I now love working in aged care because everyone always has a story to tell, and the residents are all full of wisdom. I love taking the time to sit with them and letting them reminisce, it makes them so happy,” Ciarain said.

Ciarain is an employee of Aged Care Rehabilitation Services (ACRS), a service delivery partner for Juniper Ella Williams.