Occupational Therapy

This service is currently NOT accepting new customers.

We cannot address your urgent matters and advise to seek service elsewhere.

If you are applying for NDIS we cannot help until you have been accepted as a participant and have a plan.

aaa

A SchemeWise Occupational Therapist can complete community-based functional

assessments & reports toward your support needs & help you make

progress on goals & daily aspirations.

aaa

Occupational Therapists play an important role in supporting people who already have an NDIS plan in place. Private services are not available at present.

Our Occupational Therapy team assess and facilitate people living with a disability to live up to their full potential and enhance independence with everyday activities. Some examples include identifying alternative strategies to help manage self-care, domestic tasks, meal preparation and eating, or community access.

They also work with customers to achieve their goals of shopping, learning or living independently... promoting health and wellbeing through the support that they provide.  Similarly, they support people to recovery from mental, cognitive or physical issues (such as brain injury, stroke, etc).

Our OTs will be with you every step of the way...and can help you adapt and remain functional in your daily life as things change!

The NDIS is highly focused toward functional requirements.  The purpose of a Functional Assessment (in particular) is to recognise a person’s current functional capacity in all aspects of their daily life, and to understand ongoing care, support work and therapy needs which can be supported by the NDIS.

To access Occupational Therapy services, an NDIS plan must include Improved Daily Living funds or our service can be accessed via CORE - daily activities of living funds.

A report by a SchemeWise Occupational Therapist can assist people to identify the link between their disability condition and how it affects day-to-day life with an intent to minimise and reduce barriers. 

OT reports may include assessment on functional capacity and goal-setting to undertake any of the following activities:

⇒ Functional (physical) assessments around activities of daily life/social capacity (from 12 yrs+)

⇒ Sensory or cognitive assessments (from 12yrs+)

⇒ Aids and equipment (often called Assistive Technology or 'AT' for short) for everyday living

⇒ Communication aids, devices and supports

⇒ Personal skills building such as budgeting, transport and life skills

⇒ Learning and/or training support

⇒ Employment engagement and support

⇒ Mobility and scripting (e.g. sticks, scooters, wheelchairs, alarms, safety needs, etc)

⇒ Self-care and Self-management including understanding sensory, physical, mental and cognitive needs

⇒ Minor home modifications from ramps to rails and doors plus everything in between

⇒ Supported Independent Living needs

aaa

PLEASE NOTE: SchemeWise does NOT provide vehicle modification, driving services, or major home modifications.  Services are available for people 10 years+ only. We especially focus on people living with neurological, chronic or degenerative conditions whether lifelong or acquired (e.g. stroke or brain/spinal injury). 

aaa

OUR SERVICE PROCESS

We're people-focused and like to keep it simple... generally a referral form from a coordinator or for self-referral, using the contact form is all that is needed.  If we require further detail to help get started, we'll reach out and let you, or your coordinator, know.

A SchemeWise representative will then meet with you and discuss your needs. The initial meeting is free-of-charge.

Once your needs are determined and agreed a service agreement will be completed with you.  We usually seek these to include time for any assessments, trials, training and report-writing our OT's will need to complete. An appointment with a member of our OT team will then be booked.

Depending on your needs, either a specific NDIS report (with quotes) may be issued or a general report on the basis of the service you received (e.g. a functional, sensory or cognitive assessment report).  These are mandatory requirements the NDIS seeks OT's to complete and are designed to provide the necessary advice to assess and/or progress options for you (like equipment) or help the NDIS understand your needs for planning purposes.

NOTE:  Our OT's are trained and registered professionals.  While SchemeWise understands a person may wish a certain piece of equipment, or a particular item, or desire a particular outcome please bear in mind our people can only recommend supports where it is DIRECTLY related to a recognised NDIS disability (as opposed health) condition, and/or is warranted, in a person's particular circumstances.  Thank you for your understanding. 

aaa

aa

aa

Service Disclaimer:

SchemeWise reserves its right to discuss, discern and direct its capacity for occupational therapy support within each individual's circumstances, being knowledgeable of their needs, and the safety in which a service can be delivered. This service may be triaged and cannot address sudden urgent needs (please refer back to a health service for specific assessment and support). While SchemeWise OT's can assist other services to understand your support requirements and management needs, and provide service training, they do not deliver support services.  Therapy services may only be scheduled where there is sufficent confirmed funding and within the scope of practice of each OT.  People are recommended to connect with their primary care service or GP clinic where advised that a therapy service is not possible to provide.

SchemeWise occupational therapy services are especially not able to provide support and health-management in situations where a health/disability matter is acutely unstable as this would be unsafe and service monitoring is not possible. However, were an acute matter is evidenced within a service role, our OT's have a professional obligation to ensure your safety and to take action (for any threshold matter e.g. safety, health, etc). This includes calling for help from emergency services or others as they deem relevant - they will also inform SchemeWise management of any such issues.

SchemeWise OT's can make recommendations for assistive or special equipment whre safe, if you are looking for this and only where this is considered reasonable and necessary in repsect of your recognised occupational and functional needs and necessary standards - please bear this in mind - this may also require discerning between a health matter and a disability-supported one which may affect the scope of any service.  AT recommendations require an assessment and report and there may be additional approvals required to obtain equipment outcomes. Lead-up booking time required for service and equipment trials to be conducted and any further interactions with third parties (equioment suppliers, doctors, allied health, support coordinator, rehabilitation provider or case manager) can contribute to service complexity, and all such interactions are at cost to you.

The service standardly completes functional and cognitive assessments and other screening tools to help the NDIS or other schemes like lifetime care, insurers, veterans, RTW or aged care sectors understand what may be required through a planning response to support you also. All reports are issued on basis of our therapists professional understanding and recommendations to support you.  For this reason, our people will not entertain requests toward equipment or supports not deemed necessary or which may otherwise cause a potential for harm, etc, regardless of a person's desire for such items.

It is important you also recognise that our OT's must be safe at all times when providing a service - particularly at a home/residence which is their workplace when they come to you. Please do not smoke, have animals present, display bad behaviour such as swearing or verbal/physical aggression, and ensure your environment is tidy and clean, etc. It is preferrable unless people are directly there to support you, that you are able to engage freely and that the service operates, without interuption. Our OT's will not tolerate bad behaviour from you or any person's present, and you should be aware of this too. They have a right to end a service immediately, at cost to you, if any issue arises and in their opinion, are placed at any kind of undue risk (includes non-disclosure of any COVID-19 or other infectious illness on arrival) or due to smoking or other intoxications. During heightened community issues (e.g. COVID or flu outbreak) a SchemeWise OT may call ahead and advice they are OK and check you and others at your location are OK too. They carry face masks and can wear these anytime - just ask.

Occassionally, if certain risks or impediments exist for you, or your OT, we may need to change a face-to-face service to teleservice/phone instead (if possible) OR may offer a temporary replacement if our service capacity is affected (any reason) OR may seek a permanent replacement if we think this is the best option for you and will advise you accordingly. Of course, you have the right to NOT take up any of these options, where advised, but if you make this choice you must bear the responsibility to ensure your health and other needs are met by self-referring to another service, a relevant health service (community health centre or hospital) or your doctor.  If you have any questions we are always happy to assist.

 

aa

aa