Occupational Therapy
Aged Care Occupational Therapy in Brisbane
Most older people want the same thing: to keep living in their own home, doing things their own way, for as long as that is safe. Our Occupational Therapists work with Support at Home clients and private clients across Brisbane to make that realistic rather than hopeful.
Occupational Therapy under Support at Home
Support at Home is the current Australian Government programme for aged care delivered in a person home. It replaced Home Care Packages, and allied health sits within it as part of keeping people independent rather than as an extra.
Occupational Therapy under Support at Home is preventive by design. The point is to act while someone is still managing, not after a fall or a hospital admission has already changed what is possible. Small changes made early tend to be the ones that keep someone at home for years longer.
We also see private clients and people who do not currently have a package. You do not have to wait for an assessment outcome before getting help with something that is worrying you now.
How we help older adults at home
Falls prevention
Working out why someone is unsteady, not just noting that they are. Balance, footwear, lighting, medication effects, fatigue and the specific moments in a day where falls actually happen.
Bathroom and personal care
Showering and toileting are where independence is usually lost first and where the right equipment or rail buys back the most dignity.
Home safety and modifications
A room-by-room look at the home, then practical changes ranging from a rail to a level-entry shower.
Equipment and daily living aids
Prescribing the walker, the chair, the bed or the small aid that keeps a task doable without help.
Functional decline
When someone is quietly doing less, we work out what is driving it and what can be rebuilt or worked around.
Cognition and memory change
Wayfinding, contrast, prompts, routine and safety in the kitchen, adapted to how a person thinks now.
After a hospital stay
Making sure the home someone returns to actually matches what they can manage on the day they walk back in.
Carer support
Practical training for family carers in transfers, equipment and pacing, so the caring is sustainable.
Ageing in place
Planning ahead so the home keeps working as things change, rather than reacting each time something breaks down.
How it works
A visit at home
We come to you. For older adults this matters more than convenience, because the home is where the difficulties are and it is far easier than getting to a clinic.
We work out what has changed
We look at what someone used to manage, what they manage now, and what is driving the difference. Often it is several small things rather than one big one.
Practical recommendations
Equipment, a home modification, a different technique, a change to the routine, or training for a family carer. Whatever will actually make the difference.
We stay involved
We follow up, adjust what is not working, and coordinate with the care provider or coordinator so nothing falls between people.
Who this is for
Older adults with a Support at Home budget, people on an older Home Care Package still working through the transition, private clients, and families who can see that something has shifted and want a clinical opinion rather than a guess.
We work alongside care managers, providers, GPs and families rather than around them. If you are the care manager, we will give you documentation you can actually use.
We work with Support at Home and aged care funding, private clients, and Medicare rebates on eligible GP care plans. We can also claim private health on the spot through HICAPS.
Frequently asked questions
What families and care managers ask us most about aged care Occupational Therapy.
What is Support at Home?
It is the Australian Government programme for aged care delivered in a person own home. It replaced Home Care Packages, and allied health including Occupational Therapy sits within it as part of helping someone stay independent.
Can I use my Support at Home budget for Occupational Therapy?
Generally yes, where OT is part of the agreed care plan. How a budget can be used depends on the individual plan and the provider managing it, so check with your care manager. We are happy to speak with them directly.
Do I need a Home Care Package to see you?
No. We see private clients and people who are still waiting on an assessment outcome. If something is worrying you now, waiting for paperwork is rarely the right call.
Do you come to the house?
Yes, and for older adults that is usually the whole point. We also have a clinic in Darra if you would prefer to come to us.
My parent keeps refusing help. Can you still come?
This comes up constantly. We would rather come and talk about what they want to keep doing than arrive with a list of things they should stop. That is usually a very different conversation.
Can you help with dementia?
Yes. The focus shifts toward wayfinding, contrast, lighting, familiar routines, safety in the kitchen and supporting the people caring for them.
Can you provide reports for a care provider or an assessment?
Yes. We write clearly enough that a care manager, a family member or an assessor can follow the reasoning without needing an OT to interpret it.
Related pages
A room-by-room falls-risk review of the home.
Rails, bathroom access, ramps and level changes.
Equipment that keeps a task doable without help.
Refer an older adult to us directly.
Want to talk it through first?
Send a referral, or call and tell us what you have noticed. We will be straight with you about whether we are the right people to help.