Occupational Therapy Reports for Care Homes / CSCI Occupational Therapy reports

A growing number of care homes are contacting Inclusion requesting an assessment of their care home by an Occupational Therapist following a CSCI inspection (either from the yearly ‘announced’ or ‘unannounced’ CSCI inspection). Our Occupational Therapy reports comment on numerous aspects of each Care Home and make recommendations in areas outlined in Standard 22 (see below) as well as outlining any general DDA access / general care issues as relevant. The reports can easily be used to form Action Plans for the Care Homes.

Background

On 1 April 2004 the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) took over the  responsibility for the inspection of Care Homes. The CSCI regulates social care services in accordance with statutory regulations and National Minimum Standards (2002) issued by the Department of Health. The National Minimum Standards stemmed from the Care Act 2000 providing a benchmark for Care Homes.

These standards are available from the CSCI website at www.csci.org.uk.

Standard 22 (reproduced below) states that:

“The registered person demonstrates that an assessment of the premises and facilities has been made by suitably qualified persons, including a qualified occupational therapist, with specialist knowledge of the client groups catered for, and provides evidence that the recommended disability equipment has been secured or provided and environmental adaptations made to meet the needs of service users”.

Standard 22

• 22.1 The registered person demonstrates that an assessment of the premises and facilities has been made by suitably qualified persons, including a qualified occupational therapist, with specialist knowledge of the client groups catered for, and provides evidence that the recommended disability equipment has been secured or provided and environmental adaptations made to meet the needs of service users.
• 22.2 Service users have access to all parts of service users’ communal and private space, through the provision of ramps and passenger lifts, where required to achieve this.
• 22.3 The home provides grab rails and other aids in corridors, bathrooms, toilets, communal rooms and where necessary in service users’ own accommodation.
• 22.4 Aids, hoists and assisted toilets and baths are installed which are capable of meeting the assessed needs of service users.
• 22.5 Doorways into communal areas, service users’ rooms, bathing and toilet facilities and other spaces to which wheelchair users have access, have a clear opening width of 800mm.
• 22.6 Facilities, including communication aids (e.g. a loop system), and signs are provided to assist the needs of all service users, taking account of the needs, for example, of those with hearing impairment, visual impairment, dual sensory impairments, learning disabilities or dementia or other cognitive impairment, where necessary.
• 22.7 Storage areas are provided for aids and equipment, including wheelchairs.
• 22.8 Call systems with an accessible alarm facility are provided in every room.

Aspects of other Care Standards that Occupational Therapy can help with:

Standard 3 & 7 – Assessment of service users.

Standard 6, Intermediate Care
- Assessment for equipment, rehabilitation and promotion of independence.
- Provision of suitable environments to promote healthy living and functional abilities.

Standard 8
Promotion and maintenance of service users’ physical and psychological health via activity and exercise including falls prevention..

Standard 12 provide advice on:
- individual programmes of meaningful occupational activity to promote independence, maintain social contact and prevent functional decline.
- facilitative equipment.
- therapeutic aspects of activity to enable continuance of leisure, social and cultural interests and activities.

Standard 13
Advise on networking with the local community.

Standard 38
Advise on equipment to assist with manual handling and safe working practices.

Please contact Inclusion for further advise & guidance around CSCI Occupational Therapy reports, general or individual client Occupational Therapy reports, DDA access audits or any other of our range of disability services.