Client FAQs

Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation’s allied health clinicians provide prescription of therapeutic exercise based-programs for individuals afflicted with injury or illness, principally under a compensable-injury policy.

• Workers’ Compensation
• Life Insurance / Income Protection
• Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) / Compulsory Third Party (CTP)

We are strong believers in community-based rehabilitation to ensure convenience for you during programming, and support you in self-managing your recovery and health long-term. Hence, you will be seen and have your program structured wherever most suits you, in most instances:

• Local Gym/Health Facility
• Home/Local Community
• Workplace

We see our clients Monday to Friday but do not have rigid consulting hours – again, we want to create convenience and longevity so, at all times, appointments will try to be accommodated that best suit your personal schedule and preferences.

No. We ensure consistent appointment-availabilities and accommodate rapid turnaround consultations.

Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation provide allied health services for individuals principally under a compensable-injury policy. Accordingly, services are not funded by clients directly but, rather their Insurer (and/or scheme agent); in the instance of Workers’ Compensation or Motor Vehicle Accidents/ Compulsory Third Party – fee structures and payment particulars are often determined by the governmental regulator, dependent on each particular state/ territory’s legislation and guidance. Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation invoices insurers/ agents directly and does not charge a ‘gap’ to our clients in any instance.

1. Initial Phone Call

• Our Exercise Physiologist will contact you over the next 1-2 business days to introduce themselves and to organise an agreeable time for an initial assessment
• We are a mobile service, and your Exercise Physiologist will come to you, which can be either your home or a local convenient location.

2. Initial Assessment

• You will then meet with your Exercise Physiologist so they can assess your needs and to understand you and your condition in more detail, helping to establish a clear and collaborative plan that is centred around meaningful goals
• You will then make an appointment to to develop your exercise program, which could be at your home, a local gym or pool, or even out in the community

3. Exercise Program

• Based on your needs and the goals that were agreed upon within your initial assessment, you will then meet with your Exercise Physiologist to commence your exercise program
• In following sessions, your Exercise Physiologist will then work with you through your exercise journey, by appropriately progressing your program and providing guidance and support to overcome any barriers
• We will provide you with education and resources to make you feel confident and empowered to gradually transition towards self-management of your exercise program

To help you achieve your recovery goals. At a foundational level, we help individuals to help themselves and we do this by:

• Understanding that a return to life sits at the absolute centre of recovery;
• Improving the health literacy of individuals;
• Providing early access to evidence-informed, high-quality health services;
• Building a rehabilitation plan around physical activity;
• Empowering individuals to take care of themselves; and
• Working collaboratively and in unison with the wider health team.

We blend holistic biopsychosocial rehabilitation principles with an understanding and appreciation for recover-at-work processes. We see the big picture and understand that rehabilitation should support restored capacities for all aspects of life.

No. We coordinate all required approvals and paperwork. In your initial consultation with us, you will need to sign a form or two and likely complete some health-related questionnaires but these will not be onerous or invasive, and will always be discussed with you by your clinician.

Physiotherapists are university-qualified allied health professionals.

Physiotherapists are experts in the structure of the human body and its movement. They work with people of all ages to treat a broad range of health conditions including musculoskeletal conditions, as well as chronic health conditions. (AHPA)

As first contact practitioners, physiotherapists help individuals get the most out of life. They help individuals recover from injury, reduce pain and stiffness, increase mobility and prevent further injury. Physiotherapists are trained to assess an individual’s condition, diagnose the problem and provide a treatment plan that takes into account lifestyle, activities and general health. (APA)

Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are also university qualified allied health professionals; they are equipped with the knowledge, skills and competencies to design, deliver and evaluate safe and effective exercise interventions for people with acute, sub-acute or chronic medical conditions, injuries or disabilities. Pathology domains covered by the services of AEPs include cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, musculoskeletal, cancers, kidney, respiratory/pulmonary and mental health, and any other conditions for which there is evidence that exercise can improve the client’s clinical status. (ESSA)

AEPs specialise in clinical exercise interventions for people with a broad range of health issues. Those people may be at risk of developing, or have existing, medical conditions and injuries. The aims of Exercise Physiology interventions are to prevent or manage acute, sub-acute or chronic disease or injury, and assist in restoring one’s optimal physical function, health or wellness. These interventions are exercise-based and include health and physical activity education, advice and support and lifestyle modification with a strong focus on achieving behavioural change. (AHPA)

Watch what “A Day in the Life of an Exercise Physiologist” is like at Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation here

• Adopt a holistic, client-centred, collaborative approach.
• Integrate and apply knowledge of pathology, anatomy, physiology and other core biomedical sciences relevant to human health and function to optimally assist clients’ needs.
• Consult clients throughout their recovery journey, from early intervention through to chronicity management.
• Implement a biopsychosocial approach with emphasis on collaboration, education and empowerment.
• Optimise function and healthy re-engagement in work, as well as everyday and recreational activities.
• Consider and assess clients’ stage of behaviour change in order to utilise a contemporary and client-centred goal-setting approach based on meaningful activity, in order to promote engagement and create sustainable behavioural change
• Without deviation, use evidence-based practice to support clinical decision making. Consult and share knowledge with professional colleagues and constantly reflect and seek guidance, assistance or professional support in situations that are outside their expertise or when progressions/outcomes are not as expected.
• Remain focused on achieving timely outcomes with durability and self-efficacy for clients.
• Stay true to Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation’s core values and service delivery standards.

• Physiotherapists utilise diagnostic assessments to diagnose an injury/condition, plan and implement a management plan. Physiotherapists may choose to utilise manual therapy, soft tissue mobilisation and/or symptom-modification techniques to assist in a client’s rehabilitation.
• Exercise Physiologists utilise assessment tools and observation to make clinical decisions on exercise prescription. Exercise Physiologists – due to the stage of injury and period of time they are engaged with a client, may utilise key strength and conditioning principles to a larger extent to underpin their intervention, with consideration for long-term sustainable progressions.
• Our Physiotherapists and AEPs consult clients with musculoskeletal injuries and associated conditions under Workers’ Compensation and Motor Vehicle Accident policies. Under these schemes, our AEPs also consult clients with diagnosed primary or secondary mental illnesses.
• In line with the foundational principle that early intervention provides optimised long-term clinical outcomes, our Physiotherapists provide customised Early Intervention programs to assist in managing workplace musculoskeletal injuries. Our Early Intervention programs endeavour to minimise the volume and/or duration of potential Workers’ Compensation claims and are heavily-oriented towards early-stage education, self-management promotion and global health awareness.
• Additionally, our AEPs also provide non-clinical work conditioning and wellness-optimisation programs under Life Insurance/Income Protection. These exercise-based programs assist clients across a broad spectrum of injuries and illnesses: Musculoskeletal injuries, Mental illnesses. Cancers and Cardiometabolic Disorders, in particular.