Dorset County Council Adult Services employs state registered occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) who work with people with disabilities of all ages - and their carers - in the community.

Our aim is to help you to be as independent as possible by helping to solve problems your disability may be causing you.

How can we help you?

If you have difficulty with any of these day-to-day activities, we may be able to help you with:

• Getting on or off the toilet
• Getting in or out of bed
• Getting washed and dressed
• Getting out of your armchair
• Managing the stairs
• Cooking or making a hot drink
• Feeding yourself
• Getting in and out of your house
• Getting around your house
• Using the bath
• Caring for a dependent relative

What can you expect from us?

When you contact us, we will phone or write to you to make an appointment to visit you at home, or advise you of any delay.

We will carry out an assessment of how well you manage daily living activities. This will involve us asking you questions about your daily routine and watching you do some or all of the activities involved (getting in / out of bed for example). By doing this we can work out together where the problems lie and how to solve them.

After the assessment, the OT or OTA will decide with you what are the best solutions to your problems.

This will be summarised in a care plan, which you will be asked to sign, detailing how we aim to help you with your problems and who will provide the services.

Help may include:

• Finding alternative ways of doing things to make them easier
• Loan of equipment (for example, a raised toilet seat to help you get off the toilet)
• Major alterations to your home (such as stairlifts or extensions)
• Working with other Adult Services staff such as care managers or sensory loss specialists
• Working with staff from Health (the wheelchair service, physiotherapists, or your GP, for example)

Will you have to pay?

• All assessments and advice are free of charge.
• We operate a free loan system for basic equipment such as raised toilet seats and chair raisers.
• We do not loan low-cost items but will advise you where you can buy the equipment
• Minor adaptations of up to £1,000 (such as grab rails or a ramp) may be provided free of charge
• Major adaptations may be funded by a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) from your local district or borough council

An application form for this means-tested grant requires a recommendation from us. If you are not eligible for a DFG, you may be eligible to apply for an interest-free loan, or (in exceptional cases), a grant from Adult Services.

What next?

If you feel you would benefit from an occupational therapy assessment and you are a new customer or have no current involvement with us, please contact the Adult Access Team

If you currently receive a service from us, please contact your allocated worker at the social care local office.

We have to give priority to those people in most need. That means we may not always be able to respond to your request immediately and there may be a delay before we can see you. However, if you have to go on a waiting list, we will write to let you know how long you will have to wait.