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Hi

I was hoping someone could help me with information please.

I am hoping to start providing a podiatry service within a nursing or residential home in the Melbourne area.

Does anyone have any information about what to do re starting up a service - is it just a case of visiting homes and introducing myself? Does anyone know of any homes that are looking for a podiatrist?

I also wondered about taking payment from DVA and EPC patients - is it easy to recoup the money from the relevant departments?

Sorry if this all sounds a bit basic, but I've only ever been an employee before and have always had an employer to do this!

Looking forward to hearing from anyone.

TB

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Sorry, but I going to be negative ....

All nursing homes and residential homes will already have a Podiatrist that visits. They will only look at changing if they are unhappy with the service that are currently getting (ie a very small %); you will also be competing with others to pick up that very small % --- at best you will get a small % of that % ..... how much effort are you willing to put in to get that???

Good luck...

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Craig Payne
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Follow me on Twitter | Run Junkie
God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.

You will also be competing with a group that gives away free TV's to the nursing homes that takes them on.

1. Ignore the negativity - if you are good and happen upon a facility where they are unhappy - no reason they won't change - worked for me in the past!

2. DVA are slow but usually reliable - just ask a colleague about how and where to dot your 'i's and cross your T's - and ALWAYS get a D 904/referral before Tx.

3. Less said about EPC the better, but that's just my personal preference

4. Any more q's just PM me, I have been doing it for years (not in Vic!) :)

Good luck!

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A bientot...
Podiatrist-at-large

Hi TB, I would suggest instead of visiting homes send them a copy of your CV with a covering letter and stating your fee (which you could reduce for seeing multiple clients at the same home). I tried this approach and have now landed myself a job as a sole chiropodist to a home of 98 residents, but I had to send out about 150 covering letters to secure this. Also, bear in mind, that people in homes tend to have dementia, so they will usually resist treatment, so lots of patience needed. Good luck.

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Ros the Pod

DO NOT UNDERCHARGE

The home does not undercharge its residents for the services it provides its residents.

So charge a commercial fee commensurate with your training and skills.

Most in a home will have challenging behaviour and will have multiple pathologies that require a high degree of skill and care.

Remember it will be back breaking work so ensure you have a treatment room and assistance from staff members.

You only have one spinal column so at all times protect it.

Remember your pt will be in discomfort for a few minutes you will have a few hours each working day in which to adopt a poor working posture and a life time to enjoy the results.

Do an occupational health and safety assessment of the working environment.

Ask yourself would you ask a colleague to work in those conditions when as an employer you would cover any injury of that employee.

If not then why would you make yourself work under those conditions.

Nursing homes are not easy places to work.

You would be better off setting up a proper practice from premises and working with a higher value client base.

regards David

The best way in is to approach the warden/manager every time you attend to one of their patients. These are often booked by relatives. If you are seeing a patient in a nursing home, either the home doesnt have a pod or the quality of care is not very high and ripe for plucking!

It is a slow technique but very effective, I have 5 in the space of 7 months using this technique only.

Thanks everyone for all the info.

TB

Hi. I started up my own business with rest home work by sending a letter, with price, what services are included for that price, a wee bit on my philosophy of treatment and had a great response. Go for it.

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to add another idea - why don't you try day centres where elderly local people go for a coffee mornings, etc. I have just landed myself a job with one of these organisations very local to where I live and the staff who work there are now my clients too.

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Ros the Pod

Just looking through posts as new to site. I have been a Podiatrist in private practice for the last two years and now in my forties. I have been visiting nursing homes and now have a chronic back problem despite having a chair and footstool made for me at the right height etc. I wished that I never had taken these on as patients are often relectant to have feet done as many they have dementia, I have no carer with me throughout session so organisation and being able to do my job is limited and worst of all I have to wait up to three months to get paid!!!! My private patients i.e in their own homes is very rewarding.