About Rebecca Sullivan


Hi Everyone,

I thought I'd introduce myself. My name is Rebecca and I live in Melbourne with my husband, 4 year old train loving son and our rabbit Lion. 



I grew up in Canberra, but my Mum's side of the family is from Cobar. We have traced our Aboriginal heritage to the Aboriginal mission near Brewarrina. We aren't really sure about anything prior to that. 

I was very fortunate to be able to attend The University of Sydney to study Speech Pathology as an undergraduate. Even more fortunate to have the support of Yooroang Garang student support unit and the financial support from Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship. 

Following graduation, I have worked for 15 years as a speech pathologist with adults with acquired swallowing and communication difficulties. I have loved every minute of it, even when it was hard! Now I'm a hopeful PhD candidate with an interest in falls and communication disability after stroke. 

Outside of study (!!) I love rugby league and am a Raiders tragic, hopeful for another premiership in my lifetime (6 again anyone?). 



Follow me on twitter @BeckSullivanSLP for updates on research, life with a 4 year old in Melbourne and of course my beloved Raiders. Check back regularly for research updates!

Rebecca 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hospital policies on falls in relation to patients with communication disability: a scoping review and content analysis

The final literature review from my PhD can be found in the Australian Health Review.  https://www.publish.csiro.au/ah/AH22289 TLDR: Communication Disability is not often captured as a risk factor for a fall on assessment tools. Limited guidance for staff to adapt f alls prevention education for patients with c ommunication disability Limited identified role for speech path in falls prevention or management Key Findings from the Policy Review The review of hospital and health service policies revealed several significant findings: Assessment of Falls Risk : Communication disability is often overlooked as a risk factor in falls risk assessment tools. These tools frequently categorize communication disability under cognitive impairments, such as dementia or confusion. This conflation leads to inadequate strategies for reducing falls in patients with communication disabilities. Fall risk assessment should include identification and documentation of a patient's communication disabi...
Read more

‘Patient unable to express why he was on the floor, he has aphasia.’ A content thematic analysis of medical records and incident reports on the falls of hospital patients with communication disability following stroke

Newly published open access!  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1460-6984.12916 TLDR: Difficulties following instructions, communicating basic needs & gaining staff attention were contributing factors to falls. Patients fell when taking a risk or trying to meet a basic need. Communication disability complicated assessment for injury post fall. Clinical implications: Including speech pathologists in falls risk assessment, management, and prevention strategies may provide crucial information regarding the patient's communication disability that may enhance their fall prevention plan. Participants and Communication Disabilities: The study involved a review of the medical records and incident reports of 72 participants with communication disabilities, the majority of which had severe or profound communication disabilities. Risk Factors for Falls: The study identified difficulties following instructions as a risk factor for falls in 13.9% of participants. Specific Falls Pr...
Read more
  April No Falls: An International Campaign Stacks Up April No Falls  is an international campaign aiming to reduce falls and the harm caused by falls. Moving beyond awareness raising, the  April No Falls  campaign provides the latest information on falls prevention strategies and education. Falls are a significant and growing public health issue, with deaths related to falls doubling in the last two decades. Falls within hospitals are common and can often make a great difference to successful outcome in hospital. A fall can make the difference in the patient’s ability to return home or needing to move into supported accommodation or aged care.  During  April No Falls  month in 2021, I attended three online conferences presenting evidence for falls prevention across the lifespan:  -         World Health Organisation Step Safely: Strategies for preventing and managing falls across the life-course  (27 th ...
Read more