Waiting time for OT assessment

[Pot of Tea]

Am wondering how long other people have to wait for an OT assessment?

The need for a special bed for my adult son, who has severe epilepsy, was identified 2 1/2 years ago through a carer's assessment. Despite annual reviews, reminders etc. I am still waiting for the OT assessment which will enable the purchase of the bed. Meanwhile, I am sustaining injuries that cannot be repaired until I stop lifting and I can't stop lifting until I have the special bed.

So 2 1/2 years and, here I burst into song, 'I'm still waiting'

And yes, I have finally put a complaint in but since complaints take many many months to get resolved, despite 'policies and procedures', I don't think I'll be getting the bed anytime soon.

So how long do others have to wait for assessment for specialised equipment and how long do you think is an acceptable waiting time?

[rosemary]

Do you have a community matron attached on to your surgery.If so, they can sometimes get equipment quicker,I know ours did for my mam.

[charles47]

There is no legal limit for an OT assessment, but check the Local Government Ombudsman website. That is absolutely clear that a wait of more than 6 months is considered maladministration by a local authority. It might help to point this out.

An example case can be found on page 6 of the following document:

http://www.lgo.org.uk/pdf/digest06-07/S ... rvices.pdf

The relevant paragraph:

"In this case the council met its targets. The Ombudsman acknowledged that it is good
practice to set time targets and the council has the right to decide how to do so.
However, those targets should be reasonable in themselves. Here Mr Hughes had to wait
for eight months before the case was allocated to an occupational therapist, and then a
further six months for the relatively minor adaptations to be carried out. Mr Hughes
suffered avoidable discomfort and inconvenience as a consequence. The Ombudsman
considered this to be an unreasonable length of time and that the overall process should [not]
have taken longer than six months to complete."

[www.carerwatch.com]

Locally OT are one of the fastest and effecient services, it will just depend on what LA you are under. We never had to wait for more than 3 days after contacting her for a home visit.

If you have been referred it should move fairly quickly. If I were you I would bend the ear of the who ever you got to refer the OT, after all they can't do their job if there is break in the line.

Good luck.

[Pot of Tea]

Thank you for your replies

I am gobsmacked at a wait of only 3 days; I feel like I live on a different planet, not just in a different area! The last OT assessment (a few years ago now) took over 18 months to happen and it was only after I roped in the local MP that it was carried out. Alas, MP's tend not to change local systems and this time I want to try and elicit change so am going through the arduous route of the complaints process.

Thank you for that link to the Ombudsman, Charles, it confirms that my Local Authority are not doing their job, though I suspect they are short of OT's or will claim to be. I am hoping that my complaint will hit the Ombudsman stage but have hoops to go through first and the LA are very clever at managing to stop Complaints just before they reach the Ombudsman

And thank you for your advice too Rosemary. The nurse at my GP's practise has been in contact with the Adult LD Team, trying to get things shifting, but to no avail and is unable to much more than that.

Do others on the forum have to wait ages for assessments or for equipment? If so, it is a major barrier to caring and can have a major effect on the health and safety of both carer and caree and I believe there should be very strict, national timescales for waiting for assessment and for equipment. I know when my son was a young child we didn't have to wait long for assessment but a number of times found that by the time he actually got the equipment, he had outgrown it!

Will be interested to hear how long others have to wait.

[rosemary]

Hi again,

A community matron is different to a nurse based within a GP surgery.
I dont know if all areas have them but if you use this following link it will take you to a PDF file that will explain their role in the community.

I know the one we had for my mam was a godsend.

http://tiny.cc/communitymatron

Even if you dont have them yet, still worth being aware of what happens elsewhere.

[Maryann]

Hello Pot of Tea

Welcome to the forum!

Everytime I have needed the OT for equipment/aids/adaptions I've always had a lengthy wait, after a referral normally they will visit within a month, but then to actually get the equipment has taken anything up to our longest wait 11 months. They also say that they are very short staffed, but then there's nothing knew there!!

I totally agree that it does have a major effect on caring and on the Carers own health as I had been lifting my Mum for a very long time in and out of the car and in the home aswell, which has given me a bad back. I do feel that there should be a time limit for Assessments and likewise for the time the work/equipment needs to be completed/delivered!

I do hope that you get your assessment soon now that you have made a complaint, sometimes its the only way you get anything done!

Take care
Maryann x

[Guest]

Hi
Because my granddaughter comes under the hospital because of ongoing test's my daughter in law asked about some help ie a wheelchair and some form of physio.
The reply she got i could not believe that there is no OT for any children between the ages of 9-16 before that age yes after 9 no not till they are 16 .
When my daughter in law first told me i thought she had got it wrong but no i then heard 3 different people tell her the same.
This is now 2008 cant someone put these thing's in place when hospital are being reorganised it's not first time our family as come across what they call a black hole in the system Pat had the same thing when coming out of hospital no after care because they do all elected amputations at another hospital in our region but not in our town so that hospital cant help with after care as hospital's have to do for the first 6 weeks after leaving hospital after an amputation and social services cant help till after the 6 week's.
So much for progress.
John

[Pot of Tea]

Thank you for your replies

I understand, Rosemary, that in this area, Community Matrons are all geared towards mental health and will not be a useful avenue for me to pursue. Which is a shame as I had some hopes there

Thank you for the welcome Maryann and for taking the time to reply; I understand that life ain't too easy for you at the moment, so am especially grateful for your time and support. Like you, I have a bad back, had it for some years now, but this year, while lifting, something else went 'bang' and I do wonder if it's a result of trying to protect my back - just lifted in the wrong way - but then is there a right way to lift a man who weighs 13 stone? and I am only little!

And hi JohnRJ, thank you for your response too. It is outrageous that there is no OT for middle band kids in your area; but then the whole system seems riddled with holes The Adult Learning Disability Team, who have responsibility for my son, boasts a 'seamless service'....it seems less (irristible not to play on that one!) like a service and more like a punishment on occasions like this! Certainly, the seams seem to be full of holes here too.

It angers and frustrates me that if I had more time and energy, I could shout louder and probably get things done faster, but like so many carers, I have little time, no spare energy and so get taken for a ride. Grrrrrrrrr!!

[Jean Bremner]

l have been waiting 2yrs for ramp the job was eventually put in to builders on 6th nov last year still not heard a thing OT is coming out today for something different will see whats going on he said the last time that as it was in the hands of the builders there was not much he could do as they are playing catch up due to xmas holidays and bad weather
hope you get word soon
take care
Jeanx