Home and Living Assessments
What support and living arrangement would suit your needs?
A Home and Living Assessment explores how a person manages everyday activities at home, the support they need, their living environment and what matters to them. The occupational therapist (OT) brings this information together to provide functional evidence and recommendations that may help inform home and living decisions.
You can enquire for yourself or someone you support.
What do you want to understand next?
When might a Home and Living Assessment be useful?
For example:
- When someone needs significant support with everyday activities at home.
- When their current living arrangement is no longer working well.
- When there are questions about the type or level of support required.
- When a different living environment or housing option is being considered.
- When safety, accessibility, independence or sustainability of current supports needs to be understood.
- When functional evidence is required for an NDIS Home and Living question.
What does the OT consider?
Everyday activities
How the person manages personal care, meals, household tasks, routines, community access and other activities that matter to them.
Support needs
What the person can do independently, where prompting or assistance is needed and what type of support is currently provided.
The living environment
How the physical environment supports or limits safety, independence and participation.
What matters to the person
Their preferences, routines, relationships, goals and what they want everyday life at home to look like.
What is already working
Existing strengths, strategies, equipment, informal supports and paid supports.
How can this relate to SIL or SDA?
A Home and Living Assessment may provide functional evidence when different support or accommodation options are being considered.
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
Support to live in your home.
Supported Independent Living, SIL, relates to the supports a person may need to live in their home.
Read MoreSpecialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Specialised housing.
Specialist Disability Accommodation, SDA, relates to specialised housing for eligible people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
Read MoreOur OTs have experience supporting people where Supported Independent Living, SIL, or Specialist Disability Accommodation, SDA, is being considered. We assess function, support needs and the living environment to provide clinical recommendations and functional evidence.
The OT’s role is to assess the person’s function, support needs and environment and provide clinical recommendations. The assessment does not determine NDIS eligibility, funding or approval for SIL or SDA.
What happens during a Home and Living Assessment?
- 1
Clarify the question
We clarify what needs to be understood, why the assessment is needed and who should be involved.
- 2
Review relevant information
The OT reviews relevant reports and information from the people you agree to involve.
- 3
Understand everyday function
Conversation, observation and relevant assessment tools help the OT understand everyday activities and support needs.
- 4
Consider support and environment together
The OT considers how support and the living environment work together in daily life.
- 5
Develop recommendations and explain next steps
The OT brings the findings together, explains the recommendations and discusses what may happen next.
What will you receive?
Depending on the agreed scope, the assessment and report may include:
- The assessment question and reason for referral.
- Strengths, goals and preferences.
- Current living situation and support arrangements.
- Functional abilities and support needs across everyday activities.
- Environmental considerations.
- Relevant risks and barriers to participation.
- OT clinical reasoning.
- Recommendations for supports, equipment, environmental changes or home and living options where clinically appropriate.
Functional evidence means written information about everyday abilities and support needs. The report explains the clinical reasons behind the recommendations.
Would another assessment fit better?
The main difference is what you need the assessment to help decide.
OT Assessment
What is making daily life difficult, and what could help?
A starting point when the next step is still unclear.
About OT AssessmentFunctional Capacity Assessment
What evidence is needed for a wider NDIS decision?
A report about everyday functioning and support needs across the areas relevant to that decision.
About an FCAEquipment Prescription
Which equipment could help you?
Assessment of a particular item, how you would use it and where it needs to work.
About EquipmentHome Modifications
Would changing the home make an activity easier?
Assessment when a fixed part of the home, such as a doorway or bathroom, is the barrier.
About Home ModificationHow much does a Home and Living Assessment cost?
Our current NDIS OT rate is
What affects the total?
The total depends on the hours needed for your assessment and report. This varies with your needs, the existing information and the scope agreed. There is no single fixed assessment price for everyone.
Charged OT time may include appointments, reviewing records, speaking with relevant people and report writing. Provider travel may also apply.
How to get started
Select Start a Referral below. This opens our New Patient Referral form, which you can complete for yourself or someone you support.
Describe:
the current living arrangement and support used
what has changed or is difficult
what has already been tried
the person’s goals and preferences
any report request or deadline.
You can share relevant OT reports, support plans or NDIS correspondence when they relate to the assessment request.
Our team checks service fit and current availability, then contacts you or the nominated person to confirm the relevant information, funding and onboarding documents.
The OT reviews the request and available information, then confirms what appointments and further assessment are needed for the agreed report.
You don’t need to choose a living option before referring. The assessment helps clarify support needs and the options to consider.
