During my PIP assessment it was suggested that I go through my GP to get an occupational health referral.
It must be 10 years since I last saw anyone in occupational health. Anyone got any recent experiences to share, good, bad or indifferent?
Iām blessed to have my O/therapist. She has helped with so many things over the six years Iāve had dealings with her. She works closely with the physiotherapists and between them Iāve been assessed for my abilities or not. Iāve been given the correct wheeled walker in the early days. The first wheelchair, my current motorised chair, bed handle, various trials of sit to stand aids by. Iāve been advised to have a ceiling track hoist in the bedroom, (which Iām avoiding for now). Iām in southern Ireland and the care and assistance has been faultless. I would say definitely get a new assessment.
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Thanks Poppy, itās great to hear a success story. Sounds like you have had a lot of support.
The PIP assessor was surprised that I had not had a recent OT assessment. I will ring GP Tuesday, hopefully there wonāt be a long waiting list.
OH & OT are not the same things, albeit in the same area.
Thanks for the clarification. The title of my post should actually have been āoccupational therapist referralā.
i was doing some business development earlier this year for a charity which provides services, training & software to OT teams, to help them make assessments.
Part of that included AskSara which is an online, guided self-assessment tool for minor aids & adaptations. Worth running it yourself before the visit - see if your local authority is subscribed to it. If not, use the Carers UK or Shaw Trust versions. AskSara is not scoped for more complex requirements but itās a start.
Drop me a line if I can help with more specific dealings with OTās & Adult Social Care depts.
G
My error really. Having worked in the NHS(before moving back to Ireland) ii am of course aware of the difference. Iām blaming brain fog!
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Hi
I had an OT from the Council come out to look at my flat last year. She got me on the waiting list to have my bathroom converted to wet room. An assessment was made to see if my kitchen could be converted to make it easier for me in a wheelchair, but it was decided it wasnāt feasible here. But what she managed to do instead was to get me an oven like they have on Bake Off, where the door slides under. This has made it much easier and safer for me to get things out.
She also looked at things to help me get out of bed, but none of the things on offer would have helped me, so in the end I got in contact with Remap, who are a charity that make bespoke solutions for people with disabilities. They made a natty little with the help of a 3D printer, which has made my transfers much easier.
Earlier this year, I also got seen by a physio, and she got me an adapted riser-recliner armchair (instead of tipping forward, it just rises straight up).
Have a think through of the things you struggle with, so they know what to find solutions for
Hope it goes well
Dan
Typical my shire is not there. That said I had a look at the Warwickshire one and completed a couple of surveys. Results definitely suggest I need some bigger interventions, which I had wondered.
Had a quick look at Carers Uk, I need to spend a bit more time digesting the information. Shaw Trust still to check out.
Thanks for sharing.
Amongst a lot of things, I struggle with stairs. We live in a 3 storey house, great as a family home, but too big now we are on our own. Not great if you have mobility issues.
The biggest change we need to make is moving into a bungalow. In my dreams all open plan, patio doors onto a deck, a wet room, hot tub. Sadly just a dream 
I am going to do as you say and make a list, of my biggest struggles. Sometimes the simplest of suggestions are the most useful. Thanks.
To save you some time, the Warks, Carers & Shaw Trust sites are all exactly the same! They just have different skins with organisation-specific branding and signposting. Each subscribing organisation also receives Google analytics data so they can see how their site is being used (no logins so nothing personal, just trends) by their service users.
For minor aids & adaptations, spend some time browsing the Living Made Easy site, of which AskSara is a subset. The headings across the top of the page are a good place to start.
When asking for a review from your ASC, make sure you use the phrase āStatutory Assessmentā. It has a significance in law and features in the wording of the Care Act 2014. So they canāt send just anyone for a nosey around. When I got handrails fitted (3 storeys, like you), they sent a carpenter to give the authority a quote - no professional input for a top-down needs assessment, because I forgot to ask for one.
Note that while you wonāt be charged by ASC for the assessment, any aids & adaptations (minor or major) will be means-tested and they might suggest that for speed you should self-buyā¦ Our next project is the wet room but I already know there will be no money forthcoming. I guess thatās what PIP is for.
Graeme 
Wow Graeme, tha seems so complicated and long winded. In Ireland none of the aids or equipment is means tested. If the OT or physio deems itās necessary itās provided. They mobile hoist was delivered next day. Iām not willing to use it you.
The longest wait was for the motorised chair. Nine months from placing the order. This was during covid lockdown and made in Germany.
I consider myself very lucky!