Palesa Ngoveni
Occupational Therapist
Akeso Arcadia
Qualifications
B.OCCTHER (Hons) Sefako Makgatho Health Science University (SMU)
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Date of Birth: 12 December 1992
Nationality: South African
Languages: English, xitsonga, Setswana, Sesotho, Sepedi, Zulu and Siswati (understanding)
WORKING EXPERIENCE
Department of Health, Witbank General Hosptial
January 2017 to December 2017
Occupational therapy (production level 1)
Shibambo A.T OT Practice
February 2018 to October 2018
Occupational therapy (production level 1)
Solomon Stix Morewa Private Hospital
February 2018 to October 2018
Occupational therapy (production level 1)
Kenilworth Inc, Akeso Arcadia
01 November 2018 to Date
Occupational therapy (production level 1)
OVERALL WORKING EXPERIENCE
My role involved a rotating system where I had the opportunity to offer services to patients suffering from different conditions (surgical, medical, Orthopedics and psychiatry). I got to learn from my seniors. My day was filled with screening for patients if they need OT services, assessments, planning for treatment, rendering cost-effective OT services and those who get discharged. I gave them assistive devices (wheelchairs or any other that they might require) and booked them for follow-up in our clinic. At the hospital there are different out-patient clinics including; Hands clinic, CP clinic, High Risk Clinic, Pressure garment clinic and neuro clinic where all multidisciplinary team members work together to treat patients.
From March I did community outreach in two clinics where I was rendering Occupational Therapy services. I also had an opportunity to run psychiatry groups for all clients with different diagnosis; these sessions included educational sessions (for facilitation of Yalom’s curative factors of installation of hope, universality, impartation of information), vocational rehabilitation and also individual sessions.
I specialized in Medico-legal where I did ErgoScience Physical Work Performance Evaluation. My role was to do evaluations through Functional assessment, Physical assessment, Psyco-social and cognitive observation, Self-reporting questionnaires and Cognitive evaluation. I use standardized tests such as MOCA, VMI, Berg depression inventory, Borg’s rate of perceived Pain Scale, and Draw a man’s test. I wrote reports to referring Attorneys regarding client’s residual functioning, do court appearance and recommendations.
At Akeso Arcadia, I run DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy) groups, mostly psycho-educational and social groups. We have three weeks where we psycho-educate clients on how to deal with relationships, emotions and self. I also run art groups where patients do mosaic, beading and painting.
I see patients who struggle with addiction and psychiatric diagnoses.