Meet the Team: Sarah Palmer

Meet Sarah! A passionate physiotherapist who loves helping older adults stay active and steady on their feet. Through personalised exercise programs and teamwork, she supports her clients in reaching their goals and boosting their confidence.

What does your role involve?

In my current role, I work with older adults under CHSP funding. I assess and provide intervention for impairments that may impact their walking and put them at an increased risk of falling, as well as helping prevent overall physical decline and promoting healthy aging. This is through establishing exercise programs for clients, providing falls prevent advice and considering walking aids that may be helpful such as a seat walker or a walking stick.

What do you like most about your role and working at Indigo?

What I enjoy most is helping clients improve their quality of life in a way that is meaningful to them. When clients can return to an activity they enjoy or a simply feeling more confident in their walking after engaging in an exercise program is very rewarding. I also really enjoy how we get to connect with Clients. I get to learn about their unique life experiences, what goals are most meaningful to them and helping them navigate the challenges that come with aging.

Tell us about the most interesting project you have worked on during your career.

One of the most rewarding projects I worked on was a community falls prevention program in my first role as a physiotherapist in the country health service. It involved assessing for fall risks, educating individuals on lifestyle changes, and promoting exercises to improve balance, strength, and mobility. This project was particularly interesting as I was part of a multidisciplinary team, including occupational therapists, dietitians, and nurses, and also required me to think laterally to be able to address the unique challenges faced by older adults living in rural areas.

Describe a memorable moment arising from your role.

A memorable moment in my role was prescribing a seat walker for a client, who was unsure about using one at first as it would make him “look old”. After trialling it, he was able to see the benefits of using it as a tool to keep him independent. And was able to return to going for walks with his wife, which he hadn’t been able to do for over a year. It was a “fill my cup” moment, which reminds me of the ability I have as a physiotherapist to positively impact someone’s quality of life.

Of the four Indigo values (integrity, passion, creativity, together), which one do you express the most strongly during your workday and why?

For me it’d be together. In my work I prioritise working collaboratively with clients. To actively listen to client’s preferences and jointly set goals for physiotherapy that are meaningful to clients. I find that working together empowers client’s to actively engage in physiotherapy and this leads to better outcomes for clients. However, when a client sets a particularly unique goal, I do have to draw upon my creativity to find a good solution.