Occupational Therapy

What do Occupational Therapists Do?

Occupational Therapists (OT's) visit you at home to look at the practical difficulties you have and work with you to identify your needs through an assessment of needs.

OT's help people with permanent and substantial physical disabilies to be more independent in a range of activities, such as personal care (getting washed and dressed etc), and can advise on ways to improve your mobility, enable you to prepare meals, get in and out of bed and manage steps and stairs. They will also support you and enable your carer to care for you.

OT's may also help by devising strategies to optimise independence for service users with mental health, learning difficulties or physical disabilities. All age groups can be assisted from children with special needs to older people.

OT's could also help with, or provide information about:

Help, Support and Advice

Reducing anxiety, helping people raise their confidence and help to manage their disability
Help to get appropriate support and assisting people to contact other relevant agencies or organisations
Provide information for people willing and able to fund their own adaptations or equipment
Assisting carers to continue to maintain their caring responsibilities

Other staff, known as Community Care Workers, also carry out assessments and provide equipment and adaptations, but they will usually receive specialist supervision and consultation from a qualified OT. Specialist Housing OT's are employed in some parts of the county to assist in dealing with larger home adaptations and to help people who need to transfer to a more suitable property.

Also See:

further information