Thursday, May 24 2012
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Community Occupational Therapy Team

If you have a disability or a long-term illness which affects your independence and safety to carry out your daily tasks we may be able to help. 

Our service can: 

  • Give advice about easier and safer ways of carrying out every day tasks
  • Arrange for equipment to help you
  • Give you the opportunity to practice new and safer techniques supervised by our staff

We work closely with other teams in the area and may refer you to other agencies such as:

  • Adaptations and Assessment Team (for major adaptations or re-housing issues)
  • Wakefield District Housing (WDH) for re-housing and property adaptations for WDH tenants
  • Ability Centre (for advice regarding privately purchasing equipment to assist you)
  • Wheelchair Services (for wheelchair provision)
  • Handyperson (for other minor work e.g. fixing down carpets, moving furniture, putting up rails etc.)

Contact us:

Community Occupational Therapy Team
Highfield House
Love Lane
Castleford
WF10 5RT

Phone :    01977 723922
Fax:        01977 723924

Email: communityot@wakefield.gov.uk 

Q How can I access the service?
A

You or someone on your behalf can ring Social Care Direct and your details will be taken and passed to our team if you meet the Social Services fair access to care eligibility criteria.

Once we have received your referral details we will decide what priority to give your request and arrange to visit you in your own home to assess your abilities and areas of need. We give the highest priority to people with short life expectancy and people who are at very high risk of injury when carrying out their essential daily tasks. Also to carers who are having great difficulty and are at risk in their caring role e.g. having to lift someone out of bed.

For those people who are not referred onto the Community Occupational Therapy Team we may offer an appointment at one of our Ability Centres where you can be assessed and offered advice on your own private purchase of equipment and services, or be signposted to other agencies who can best provide the service you require.
Q How will my needs be assessed?
A

You will be visited at home by one of our Occupational Therapists (OT) or Technical Instructors (TI) who will carry out a ‘functional assessment’ to decide upon your needs and how best to meet them. For example, we may assess your difficulties in getting washed and dressed, getting in and out of bed, getting to the toilet, getting on and off your toilet or your chair and accessing your property.
Q What will you do following my assessment?
A

Once an assessment has taken place the Occupational Therapist or Technical Instructor will inform you of the outcome of the assessment. The worker will discuss with you the best way to meet your needs. This may involve:

  • Providing equipment such as a raised toilet seat, a mobile hoist, grab rails or a commode etc.
  • We may suggest alternative and safer techniques on how to carry out your daily tasks.
  • We may suggest techniques to more safely assist in your role as carer (e.g. safe methods of helping someone get out of their chair).
  • We may refer you with your consent to another agency who may be better placed to meet your needs (e.g. Adaptations and Assessment Team, Ability Centre).