Occupational Therapist

[Frostytiger87]

Hi . We live in London & My dad is elderly in his 80’s he is getting unsteady on his feet & finds some things difficult like getting into the bath
I have arranged through his GP an OT referral does anyone know how long the wait is ? Also someone said that the OT’s agreed that he needs a walking stick or handles on the wall to assist him we would have to fund it ourself
Would this be correct ?

It depends where he lives, my mum is in s.e. London and got seen within 2 weeks. The ot arranged a Walker, loo seat, rails, perching stool, walking stick. If you look up the website I think they pay for minor adaptations to £1000.

If you look up NHS Home Adaptations it tells you what to expect during the assessment and the Grant's available. You can call the therapy team and ask when they are planning to visit.

Thankyou so much for your replies it’s very helpful
I’ll have a look

In my experience things like rails, minor adaptations, sticks,loo seats, bath lifts, etc up to a certain amount are funded by the council. Larger adaptations up to £30k ( there's a grant you have to apply for which can take up to a year depending where you live) are dependent on savings of over £23k iirc.

If he's getting unsteady on his feet, it might be worth asking for a referral to a Falls Clinic as well. They are run by physiotherapists (who work closely with OTs) and will focus on exercises that will help to make him more steady on his feet.

Good advice about the falls clinic. You could think about general safety at home, a keysafe and Careline should he need help, falls sensors, a riser chair, safety in the kitchen, removing rugs etc.

One thing that has really helped is a portable wheelchair which was about £80 from Argos so she can get out and about. Now is also a good time to start looking at p.o.a.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/care-services-equipment-and-care-homes/household-gadgets-and-equipment-to-make-life-easier/

Thankyou all for your help & advice

I self rerfered to the councils aids and adaptions, an ot came to assess and minor adaptions were completed in a few weeks (major adaptions took 2 years). I was also referred on to physio and ot (both NHS) by the council ot.