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Posted by Mike Phipps on September 24, 2021
Here at Ability Superstore, we’re delighted to be able to offer our customers a Remote Occupational Therapy (OT for short) Assessment. This new service enables you to receive tailor-made advice and suggestions from our qualified and registered occupational therapist – Kate Makin.
In this blog, we’ll talk about what occupational therapy assessments are, why you might consider one, and how it can help make your everyday life easier. It can also ensure that you are considering the correct mobility aid for yourself, or a loved one.
Occupational therapists (often referred to as OTs) are healthcare professionals, much like nurses, or physiotherapists. OTs train at university and undertake practical placements as part of their qualification. They can then register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) before going on to work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, schools, health centres, or in the community itself.
You may have experienced an OT visiting your home in the past, to advise on the best mobility aids for yourself, or a loved on. Unfortunately, particularly since Covid, actual OT visits are becoming a rarity, which is why we’ve introduced the “remote visit”, providing the same great advice, personalised to your requirements.
Occupational therapists provide guidance and specialise in helping people of all ages to navigate the challenges of everyday living. Their job involves finding ways to improve the quality of daily living and the day-to-day experiences of individuals living with disabilities, or a physical, or mental health condition, or learning difficulties.
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This often includes looking at everyday tasks which individuals find challenging and advising on the correct mobility aids to help. The mobility aids they recommend bring many benefits, including making those everyday tasks easier to undertake.
No matter which area of health, or care, occupational therapists work in, their main aims are always the same – to find ways to assist people in undertaking their daily activities safely and independently. This could involve finding new ways to carry out certain tasks, or recommending various mobility aids to help, such as installing grab bars in a bathroom to support a person to undertake daily hygiene more easily.
Here at Ability Superstore, we’re fortunate to work with a highly experienced occupational therapist, Kate Makin, who qualified in 2001 with a BSc (Hons) in Occupation Therapy. Kate has worked in a wide range of settings across the NHS, as well as in the private sector, and has her own private occupational therapy service, too.
Our Remote Occupational Therapy Assessment service is an opportunity for you, or a loved one, or a family member, to benefit from the expertise and insight that an occupational therapist can offer.
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As the assessment is done remotely, there’s no need for you to travel to another location, all you need is a smart mobile phone, tablet, or laptop with videophone capability. Our qualified occupational therapist can then carry out the OT assessment virtually with the benefit of seeing you in your own home environment.
The occupational therapy assessment will involve you answering a number of questions about your current health and mobility, your existing daily tasks and any difficulties that you may be having, as well as any other personal goals/activities you would like to be able to do, but currently struggle with. You will have time to focus on issues that are particularly important to you, so Kate can understand which areas of daily living you need support with and assess your level of function.
Following the assessment, Kate will then be able to offer suggestions and practical advice to help make your everyday life easier. If she recommends any mobility aids, of course, you can purchase them through us, or anywhere you prefer. You will also be provided with a complete, detailed and helpful written report within ten days of the assessment detailing the issues discussed and the possible solutions.
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There are many benefits to a Remote Occupational Therapy Assessment. The main benefit is that it provides personalised, bespoke guidance, suggestions and solutions of practical ways to make daily living easier for you, or your loved one – advice that is directly relevant to your own home environment and how you live.
There is a whole host of advice online and thousands of daily living aids and mobility aids you can buy, but without knowing which is the best for your needs, or what will work for your personal circumstances, it can feel sometimes like searching for a needle in a haystack! There are so many mobility aids and home adaptations out there, from grab rails, raised toilet seats and stair lifts to modifications like wet rooms and bathrooms adaptations, it's easy to get overwhelmed trying to determine what mobility aid you actually need.
If you are currently using any form of mobility aid, Kate will also check that you have the right one/s for your requirements, too.
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An Occupational Therapy Assessment takes away some of that guesswork, as you know that the information you receive relates specifically to you and your home and personal situation.
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Additionally, an OT assessment could actually save you money in the long run, as it eliminates the trial and error of purchasing mobility aids, only to find them unsuitable, or making costly major adaptations to your home that you later find weren’t necessary.
A Remote Occupational Therapy Assessment can help keep you independent and self-caring at home and reduce your reliance on assistance from others to help you with everyday tasks. It also gives your family, friends, or loved ones, peace of mind, knowing that there are modifications, adaptations and mobility aids in place to help you undertake your everyday activities safely and get the most out of everyday life, whether that is through the use of mobility aids, or other items.
After a sudden reduction in mobility due to illness, or injury, or when your mobility changes over time due to age, or long-term medical conditions, you may feel despondent and worry about losing your independence, or having to give up activities you previously enjoyed. These mobility issues can sometimes lead to mental health problems, such as depression, or anxiety.
Seeking advice from an occupational therapist and undergoing an OT assessment can help you figure out coping strategies and new ways of doing things. The therapist may also introduce you to a number of mobility aids, equipment, or home adaptations that may help with daily tasks and self care, meaning that you’re able to undertake meaningful activities and continue doing the things you love.
There are many reasons why you might wish to choose Ability Superstore for your Remote Occupational Therapy Assessment.
OT assessments are available as part of the NHS service, or as part of a social care assessment, but with long referral times in many local authorities, funding restrictions and a long waiting list before the assessment process begins, some people may feel that they would benefit from the input now, rather than wait.
When you enquire about an assessment with us, we’ll be in touch within three working days to arrange an appointment on a day and time that suits you. After the initial assessment has taken place, you’ll also receive a written copy of your detailed report within ten days.
This quick turnaround makes our service appealing to individuals and families who are keen to get support and advice as soon as possible, so that they can begin to make the necessary changes and purchase the correct equipment to help make everyday living easier.
Another reason to choose our service is that our resident occupational therapist Kate, has many years of experience and expertise to offer our customers, so you can rest assured you’ll be getting high quality, accurate knowledge and advice.
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Furthermore, as our OT assessments are undertaken remotely, via the internet, you needn’t worry about finding an OT in your local authority, travelling to appointments, or undertaking assessments in simulated kitchens, or bathrooms that don’t resemble your home environment. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, our OT, Kate, can actually see you in your own home and offer tailor-made advice just for you.
If you would like to book your Remote OT Assessment, simply fill in our short form here. We will then be in touch within three working days to arrange a suitable date and time for your assessment. We can also offer some evening and weekend availability if this is easier for you.
If for any reason you are unable to fill in the form and you would like a little extra support over the phone, or need more information, you can also call us on 0800 255 0498 and we’ll be happy to help.
Ability Superstore started in 2010, purely to offer a wide range of mobility aids and helpful healthcare advice. Ability Superstore now offers one of the largest ranges of mobility aids in the UK, with over 12,000 products of mobility equipment, from walking aids to mobility scooters, to bathing aids, in fact, almost every kind of daily living aid there is! Many of the products are eligible for VAT exemption, which means that those living with a life long medical condition can purchase them without paying the 20% VAT.
