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Occupational Therapy in the hospital
Your clinical team has referred you to the Occupational Therapy (OT) department as part of your care plan.
Here in the hospital, the Occupational Therapy team will assess your ability to do the things that are essential for getting you home safely. This will involve asking how you have been managing at home and listing the things you need to be able to do when you are discharged from hospital. To help with this planning, we may need to speak to members of your family or other carers. Please let us know if you are not happy for us to do this; if you are, show them this leaflet so they know we may call them.
Where needed we will pass on your longer term needs to the community teams so they can continue to work with you after you have been discharged from hospital. To do this, we will need to share some of your details with our community colleagues; again, tell us if you are not happy for us to do this. A visit to your home is not always necessary but will be done if the therapist has assessed that one is required.
Your Occupational Therapy plan of rehabilitation starts now this period will vary for each individual, in some cases this may continue when you get home; again, this will be done with the community based team. If your rehabilitation concludes in hospital and you require support we will advise community colleagues about what you are able to do and what you need help with. We may need to provide you with some essential equipment or a minor home adaptation to help you when discharged; if this is necessary, you will need to ensure we can get timely access to your home.
If major, long term, adaptations to your property are needed. We will refer them on to the community, so they can be assessed at some point after discharge and would not be addressed during admission.
How can an Occupational Therapist help me?
Occupational Therapists (OTs) are skilled in assessing how your condition can affect your
ability to cope with everyday tasks. We work closely with the multidisciplinary team to advise
on how best to manage the impact of your condition on your daily life.
What will input from OT involve?
- Listening to your priorities / wishes.
- Assessing activities of daily living.
- Setting realistic goals so that you can do as much as possible for yourself but are also going to be safe and confident when you go home from hospital.
- Carrying out a rehabilitation programme based on your needs and optimising rehabilitation outcomes for patients or refer to community support services if required, to address longer term needs, further rehab support.
- Advising on equipment to help you manage on your own as much as possible once you have left hospital.
- Providing essential equipment to improve independence.
- Coordinating with the multidisciplinary team to ensure it is safe to discharge you.
How can I contact the Occupational Therapist?
Occupational Therapy department Monday-Friday, 8.00am - 4.00pm
- Frimley Park: 0300 613 4026
- Wexham Park: 0300 615 5706
Useful contact details
Local Social Services
- Bracknell 01344 351500
- Hampshire 0300 5551386
- Slough 01753 475111
- South Buckinghamshire 01296 383204
- Surrey 0300 2001005
- Windsor and Maidenhead 01628 683744
- Wokingham 01189 746800
Your local council’s website social services page will have lots of useful information.
Wheelchair and equipment services
- Red Cross: Wheelchair Hire 0300 4561914
- Hampshire TCES 01256 476800
- Surrey Millbrook 0330 1241247
- Berkshire Millbrook 01182 288 701
- Buckinghamshire Millbrook 01296 840 317
Home fire safety check
Royal Berkshire
Fire and Rescue Service – 0800 5876679
South Bucks - 01296 744477
Surrey - 0800 0850767
Hampshire
https://
If you are having unexpected problems following discharge, contact your District Nurse based at the GP surgery.
Pendant alarms/lifelines
Contact your local social services team to check if you are eligible to receive a reduced cost/free pendant alarm, based on a financial assessment.
Living Made Easy
For advice regarding private purchase of equipment and other advice and information –
https:/
Carers UK – Offers support to carers www.
Inpatient Therapies Survey
We would be grateful if you could complete our Therapy inpatient Satisfaction Survey as this will help continue to improve our clinical services. Thank you.
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Occupational therapy service.
About this information
Service:
Occupational therapy
Reference:
UU/075
Approval date:
23 June 2025
Review date:
23 June 2028
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Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.