Occupational Therapy FAQ's

Answer – Occupational Therapists (OT’s) work with a range of individuals around mental health, physical health, and cognitive impairment. OT’s also work with younger people transitioning into adulthood, older people struggling with their day-to-day tasks, disabled adults who want to maximise their life with chronic and long-term conditions. OT’s also work with the homeless, and individuals in prison.

OT’s support and arrange adaptations for people ranging from giving people a simple grab rail at the front door, to a stair lift or to major house extensions and kitchen redesigns for wheelchair accessibility. OT’s complete adaptation recommendations for people with limited ability to use their environment to carry out everyday tasks.

OT’s can also recommend techniques and different ways of doing tasks to reduce the need to have any equipment at all.

OT’s also assess for and recommend very complex equipment such as lifting equipment for bariatric individuals, specialists beds that turn into chairs and ceiling tracking systems that move people from room to room.

Cognitive abilities can also be assessed and OT’s work closely with social workers to assess people’s capacity. They work make recommendations to ensure individuals care meets their needs and to maximise people’s ability to make their own choices about how they live their life.

Short Answer – No, Occupation Therapists in adult social care are not trained or approved to prescribe pressure relieving equipment. OT’s can provide basic mattresses when we prescribe a profiling bed and we can prescribe a cushion to raise the seat height of your chair to make getting up easier.

Answer – Occupational Therapists can prescribe ramps for people who need them for their medical condition. This is based on your ability to mobilise and step over your threshold. Having a mobility scooter does not automatically entitle someone to a ramp. OT’s may advise you to store your scooter outside. OT’s do provide ramps for individuals who have been assessed for and prescribed powered wheelchairs for indoor and outdoor use.

Answer – As a service, Hull City Council Adult Social Care, Occupational Therapists don’t accept referrals for a walking aid. This is because the best solution is to advise you to go to a physiotherapist. If an OT is assessing you for other reasons and an OT has completed a walking aid prescribers’ course, then a walking aid may be prescribed and recommended in this instance.

Answer – Prescription of level access showers is based on our physical abilities. OT’s wouldn’t provide a prescription based on age or medical conditions alone but on how those things affect your ability to complete tasks. OT’s always consider equipment before major adaptations. For example, if a bath lift would enable you to access the bath independently then an OT would not prescribe a level access shower.

Answer – An OT can assess for and give you equipment to make daily tasks easier. For example, If you are having difficulty getting into your bath, equipment may be able to make you independent and reduce your need for carers. Or for example, if you require two carers to move you, there is sometimes equipment that can be given to you which would enable one carer to complete a task instead of two.

Answer – It is important you live in a property that meets your needs and maximises your independence. If you have a disability that means you would need a specific kind of property then an OT can assess and provide a report about what those needs are. This will ensure the property you are offered will meet your needs as closely as possible.

If you have been offered a property which a property that would not meet your needs, you can request an OT assessment at the time of viewing. An OT can then determine if the property could be adapted to meet your needs and in some cases, recommend the work is completed before you move in. It is important you contact an OT, or ask your tenancy officer to contact an OT before you sign up to the property. When OT’s complete their reports, they may be able to make a recommendation for medical priority. This means your current home cannot meet your disability needs.

If you are wanting to move house for reasons such as downsizing or overcrowding, you may not qualify but an OT will still provide you with a report about what adaptations you will need in your new property.

There is a limited supply of adapted property so the wait may be longer than for a standard property, more so if you need a specific area of Hull.

An OT cannot make the request for property on your behalf, so you need to have registered yourself on Home Search (link opens in a new window) or with your housing association. 

Answer - If you live in a care home and they are unable to meet your needs, an OT can assess your need for equipment and moving and handling techniques. This is usually around specialists seating or moving and handling equipment. There are lots of regulations about what equipment has to be provided by the care home so the result of the assessment would usually be a recommendation to the care home about how best they can meet your needs.