Living Without Boundaries Occupational Therapy provides in home functional assessments to help determine a client’s ability to safely carry out functional activities in the home and evaluates effectiveness of intervention and as a pre-discharge assessment. Our Occupational Therapists measure in-home activity performance and change in fit of the individual and their environment before and after basic home modification interventions.
In home functional assessments look at how a client manages in the home and provides clinical recommendations to assist in enabling increased independence. This assessment can be as simple as asking where to position a grab rail or as complex as a full home safety assessment. Your home is assessed by one of our Occupational Therapists to review a clients ability to navigate, transfer on and off of everyday items and discuss how they manage Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s). This is assessed within the domains of self-care including personal care, productivity and leisure utilising an evidence based tool, The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), and is guided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) International Classification of Function (ICF).
In addition to this, Living Without Boundaries provides all services based on the “Social Model of Disability”
All assessments aim to identify how best to help an individual to be as independent as possible in their home. Living Without Boundaries Occupational Therapists provide clear recommendations with reporting to assist with NDIS funding applications including Assistive Technology. Our Occupational Therapists work together with our clients and carers to support any adaptations or strategies implemented. Home safety is paramount and we work with the Client to make their home as safe as possible.
Some of the items reviewed on a home safety assessment include:
- The safety of the entry/exit points of the home and access space through corridors and walkways to ensure safe navigation around the home.
- The setup of living and dining areas and ensuring the seating (including height of chairs, materials and overall function) is sufficient.
- Safety and accessibility of bathroom areas to review any risks associated with toileting, showering and grooming tasks.
- Safety and accessibility of areas where domestic tasks are completed such as kitchen and laundry areas and reviewing bench heights, storage of commonly used items and general safety.
- The bed and bedroom space to ensure easy navigation, appropriate bed height, assessing bed transfers as well as consideration for night time toileting.
- Reviewing lighting of the home, particularly at night.
- Assessing for any trip hazards around the home such as loose mats, uneven surfaces or slippery surfaces and providing strategies to reduce risk of injury and falls
- The outdoor environment such as garage space, front and backyards as well as consideration to clotheslines and sheds.