An Occupational Therapy Assessment in your home
You may be unsure what OT service you require or even why you need an OT Assessment
This is the Best Place to Start
An In-home OT assessment starts with a chat with the client, reviewing how their medical condition affects them. The OT will listen to the issues the client would like the OT to address. Then, while the OT interviews the client, they will be building a picture of that clients strengths, weaknesses, frustrations, anxieties and values.
The next step is a functional assessment: the OT will observe the client mobilising around their home, assessing the clients movement patterns and how their medical conditions are leading to difficulties carrying activities such as chair, bed, toilet and shower transfers. There may be other specific areas the client may want to address such as access to the rear yard, kitchen activities or difficulties with some aspects of personal care. In the past we’ve even had some clients that are looking for solutions to safely access their backyard pool or their chicken coop. All these can be addressed.
The time taken to complete the assessment varies depending on the client, their needs and complexities. Most assessments can be completed between 60-90 minutes.
Discussing recommendations and options can be overwhelming at the time of the visit, so the OT will email the client, or a family member, with a full list of all the recommendations. This will include images of equipment and details of any home modifications and, where necessary, a summary of how the recommendation will assist the individual. This enables the client to take in the recommendations in their own time and reflect on the next steps.
A further 1-3 hours should be allowed for report writing, depending on the complexity and number of recommendations being made and home modifications that may be required. If this is a private referral the report will be shorter and focus on the recommendations. When a funding body is involved, a full report will be produced to provide clinical justification for the recommended items to be subsidised or funded by the relevant funding body.
When the OT Assessment is funded through a government agency such as a Home Care package, DVA or CHSP funding, the OT will liaise with the appropriate representative. The OT will also liaise with third-party providers such as equipment companies and home modifications building companies for quotes and to organise equipment trials.