Aged Care Occupational Therapy Services

Aged Care OT Services

Many of our clients wish to remain living in their own home as they grow older. They also want to be able to do this safely and as independently as possible. When medical conditions, general health and/or limited mobility makes this more challenging, we work with the client to look at ways in which they may be able to better manage at home and continue living as independently as possible.

An Activities of Daily Living (ADL) assessment is provided to address these issues.  The assessment is completed by an occupational therapist (OT) in the client’s home.

Following the assessment a report is provided outlining recommendations on various options (including equipment, supports and alternative methods of completing tasks) to help achieve this.

Aged Care Activities of Daily Living (ADL) assessments and reports address the following areas:

  • Personal/self-care skills (eg showering, dressing, toileting, grooming)
  • Domestic activity (eg cooking, cleaning, washing)
  • Gardening and home maintenance
  • Mobility and transfers, including falls risk and prevention – home modifications may be recommended including the installation of ramps, grab rails, bannister rails.  Mobility aids such as 4-wheeled walkers, walking sticks, quad sticks, scooters may also be prescribed.
  • Community mobility, including driving and public transport
  • Energy conservation and task simplification
  • Pressure care management – finding seating and bedding solutions to ensure comfort, improve function and prevent complications that result from poor posture, such as the development of pressure ulcers. This is critical to the ongoing care of clients with an impaired ability to reposition themselves, or whose activity is limited to bed, chairs or wheelchairs.   The OT will liaise with seating, bedding and equipment providers to attend to the client’s seating and pressure care needs.

Aged care OT referrals are accepted from:

  • General Practice
  • Home Care Package Providers
  • Hospital discharge planners
  • Self-funded patients
  • Medical Specialists

 

Funding for aged care OT services is available from:

  • Department of Veterans Affairs – Gold & White Card holders with referral
  • Home Age Care Packages
  • Medicare GP Management PlansBen Adcock - Aded Care Occupational Therapist
  • Private Health Extras

 

Ben Adcock is our Senior Adults Occupational Therapist and has many years of experience in caring for and servicing those clients in the aged care sector