Occupational therapy service
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational Therapy aims to make your everyday activities
easier for you to do, improve your quality of life, and help you
live as independently as possible in your home and within your
community.
Occupational Therapy is provided for people who have a
disability which affects their normal daily living activities such
as dressing, washing, bathing, getting on and off the toilet,
getting in and out of the bath, and preparing and cooking a meal.
It also includes issues such as access to employment, education,
housing and leisure opportunities.
Can I get help?
Community Occupational Therapy can help you if:
- You are a permanent resident of Tower Hamlets
- You have a medical condition or physical disability that makes
every day tasks difficult to do
What will happen next?
Assessment
If you feel we may be able to help you we would initially
complete an assessment of your needs, either via the phone or by
visiting you at home.
Advice
The Occupational Therapist may be able to give you advice or
information on more suitable housing, put you in touch with other
services, or assist carers to maintain their caring role.
Modifying the tasks you do
We may suggest a new way of carrying out certain tasks to make
life easier for you, or provide rehabilitation to improve your
ability to do a task.
Adapting your home
This may include improving safety by installing stair rails and
grab rails. We can also advise you regarding options for improving
access to your home and facilities. Examples of options could
include widening doorways, installing ramps, provision or a
stair-lift or through-floor lift or changes to your bathroom such
as the provision of showering facilities.
The responsibility for providing any adaptations will depend on
who owns your property. We can provide you with advice relating to
this, and can assist you with arranging for an adaptation to
proceed.
Provide equipment
If you have been assessed as being eligible for our service you
may receive equipment. This could include small items such as long
handled combs and sponges, specialised cutlery or kettle tippers,
to large items such as raised toilet seats, bath lifts and
hoists.
Everyone is different, so the services offered to each person
will be designed to meet their individual needs.
Contact us
Access to the Occupational Therapy service is via the Adult Social Care First Response
team.
Alternatively you could complete the self assessment form called
AskSARA on the Disabled Living Foundation
website and email the results of this process to adultcare@towerhamlets.gov.uk
What if I’m not eligible?
If you are not eligible for our service you may choose to
consult a private Occupational Therapist. Or you can purchase
equipment independently from one of the many suppliers listed in
the information on alternative suppliers of equipment and
services.
There will be a fee for consulting a private Occupational
Therapist.
We cannot reimburse you for any fees or guarantee to act upon or
follow up on any recommendations of a private occupational
therapist.
The College of Occupational Therapy will provide a list of
Health Professions Council (HPC) Occupational Therapists.
College of Occupational Therapy
106 – 114 Borough High Street
SE1 1HL
Tel: 020 7450 2332
Website: http://www.cot.org.uk/