News and blogs document Living well - assessing your needs

Knowing what support will help you and also what is available, will help you to live well at home

There are different options to assess the support you require, from assessing equipment and adaptions to identifying any help you need for daily or personal tasks.

A visit from an Occupational Therapist

An Occupational Therapist may be able to visit your home to assess if any equipment, aids or adaptations can make living at home easier for you.

They will work with you to find solutions that could help you to live independently, assessing your mobility around the house and how you manage personal and domestic tasks.

The Occupational Therapist may suggest solutions such as a walking aid, grab handles, a second stair rail, or larger adaptations such as walk-in showers. In addition, they will consider the needs of those who live with you or care for you.

You may be eligible for a visit from an Occupational Therapist through the NHS Community Therapy Service or our social care team depending on your situation.

Our Occupational Therapists also run equipment clinics across Oxfordshire. If you would like to explore equipment and adaptations, make a referral to our Social and Health Care team. They will give you advice on which part of the service can help you and support with referrals.

Or if you prefer you can pay for an assessment. The Royal College of Occupational Therapists lists qualified and registered occupational therapists . You can check an occupational therapist is qualified and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) using the online register of health and care professionals on the HCPC website.

A care needs assessment

If you or a loved one are eligible for financial support [LB6] to fund all or part of your care you will need to request a care assessment from us [LB7] .

During the care needs assessment, we will work with you to identify what will make the biggest difference to help you live as independently as possible.

This is an opportunity to share with us how you would like to live your life, what matters most to you, your strengths and the areas you would like support with, including when and how you would like to be supported.

Sometimes, you might find it helpful for us to speak with your partner, family or friends to find out exactly the kind of support you need.

The assessment is all about you, so it's important that you are fully involved in making key decisions. You may choose to have an advocate accompany you during the assessment. This advocate could be a family member or friend, or you may qualify for assistance from an independent advocate.

Further details about what to expect at a care needs assessment and what happens afterwards is available on our website.

Even if you are not eligible for financial support from us you can still ask for an assessment of your care needs and we can arrange your care and support. There is a small charge for arrangement fees depending on the level of our involvement. Or you can arrange your own services.

A visit from an Occupational Therapist

A care needs assessment

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