Introduction to the Occupational Therapy (OT) service
What are major home adaptations?
Major home adaptations are any home adaptations that cost over £1000. These can be complex and will often mean a change to the structure of your home. An Occupational Therapist (OT) will recommend them to meet your child/young person's long-term needs. They can include:
- permanent ramps
- widened doors
- accessible bathrooms.
Your child/young person's OT must first rule out all other options such as:
- equipment provision
- rearranging activities/using alternative techniques
- minor adaptations
- rehousing.
Only once all other options have been ruled out can the OT recommend major home adaptations. The major adaptations process involves a range of other professionals. These can include:
- Children/young people's Occupational Therapists (OT)
- District/Borough Councils
- Home Improvement Agencies (HIA)
- builders and architects.
The timescales of major home adaptations can vary depending on the scale of the project. Securing funding and the planning process can be time consuming. You can find details about the roles of each professional on the Who does what page.
To start the home adaptation process visit the Step by step process.