Occupational therapy Occupational Therapy helps people live more productive lives.  It enables people with disabilities to carry out essential activities, with the aim of maintaining or improving independence.

Occupation means any way in which people spend their time from personal care (washing, dressing, toileting) to productivity (paid or unpaid work, housework, education); to leisure (games, sports, hobbies, social activities).
 
Examples of essential activities may include:

• Managing personal care, e.g. getting to the bathroom and transferring on/off toilet.
• Safe mobility around your home to enable you to prepare meals, get in/out of bed, manage the steps and stairs.
• Enabling an individual to take up or stay in paid or unpaid work.
• Enabling your carer to care for you.

OTs could help, or provide information about:

• Raising the height of the bed/chair so that standing is much easier if a person has stiff, painful hips and knees.
• Making a home safer for getting around by the installation, for instance, of hand rails and ramps.
• Reducing anxiety and helping people raise their confidence about getting around or manage their disability.
• Information on ways of obtaining appropriate support and helping people to connect to other relevant agencies.
• Assisting carers to continue to maintain their caring responsibilities.

For people able and wanting to fund their own equipment or adaptations, advice and information is available by contacting us

There is a variety of equipment available to help with every day tasks. Whilst some items cost only a few pounds, others are very expensive. It is important to find out what is available and if at all possible, try out before buying.

Some larger pieces of specialist equipment are available on loan. However, equipment will only be offered after an assessment of need has been made by a Care Manager (occupational therapy) or through your GP.

Any equipment, which the Social Services department can loan you to help around the home, is available free of charge. However, our supplies are limited, and for some equipment for example, bathing equipment, lifting equipment or high chairs, there is a waiting list.

Should you wish to purchase your own equipment, the Social Services department will still be able to offer you advice as to which particular pieces of equipment suit your needs.

Professional advice from a care manager (occupational therapy) can help you avoid costly mistakes to your pocket and your health.

We can recommend minor adaptations to your home, like stair rails or outside hand rails, which will be carried out at a small charge.

If we feel that major adaptations are needed, such as a lift or a ramp for wheelchair access, we can discuss how these can be funded.

We want to help you live independently in your present home. But if we, or you, feel that you would be better off moving to different accommodation, we will discuss all the options with you.

Everyone's needs are different so the services offered to each individual will be different. Together we will try to agree on the best way to provide the help that you need.