Occupational Therapy for Older Adults in Perth

At Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health, we provide occupational therapy for older adults who may need support with safety, independence, daily activities, home access, equipment, cognition, or maintaining function at home and in the community. Our occupational therapists work with older adults across a range of age-related, physical, cognitive, neurological, chronic health, and disability-related presentations.

Our approach is practical, individualised, and focused on helping each person manage everyday life as safely and independently as possible. Depending on the person’s needs, occupational therapy may focus on self-care, home safety, falls prevention strategies, assistive equipment, home modifications, cognitive support, functional assessment, or recommendations that help make day-to-day tasks easier and safer.

We offer occupational therapy for older adults in clinic, through mobile services, and via telehealth where appropriate.

Occupational Therapy for Older Adults Accessing Support at Home

We are able to provide occupational therapy services for older adults accessing support through the Support at Home program. Support at Home replaced the former Home Care Packages program from 1 November 2025, and includes clinical supports such as occupational therapy.

Many people still use the phrase Home Care Package when talking about their funding or provider arrangements. We understand that language is still commonly used, and we can assist older adults who are receiving aged care support at home and want occupational therapy linked to their goals, safety, independence, function, or home environment.

Where approved and arranged, we can invoice the client’s provider directly for occupational therapy services. This may include support delivered in the home, in clinic, or in other suitable settings depending on the person’s needs, service approval, and provider arrangements.

If you are unsure whether occupational therapy can be accessed through your current aged care funding, our team can discuss the available service options and what information may be needed from your provider or care coordinator.

What is Occupational Therapy for Older Adults?

Occupational therapy for older adults focuses on helping people manage the activities that are important in everyday life. This may include personal care, meal preparation, household tasks, mobility around the home, community access, equipment use, routines, safety, and maintaining independence.

Occupational therapists look at how a person functions in their environment and recommend practical strategies, supports, and modifications that may make daily life easier, safer, and more manageable. Under Support at Home, occupational therapy is included as a clinical support, and the program also includes access to equipment and home modifications where approved.

How Occupational Therapy May Help Older Adults

Occupational therapy may assist with:

• daily living skills such as dressing, showering, toileting, and meal preparation

• home safety and falls risk considerations

• home environment assessment

• assistive technology and equipment recommendations

• seating, bathroom, and mobility-related equipment advice

• recommendations for home modifications where appropriate

• strategies to support independence and confidence at home

• fatigue management and energy conservation

• cognitive strategies and routine support where relevant

• functional assessment linked to day-to-day needs

• support for carers and families

• planning for safer participation at home and in the community

Support is always tailored to the person’s presentation, goals, home environment, and broader medical context.

Who This Service May Support

Older adults may attend occupational therapy for a wide range of reasons, including:

• difficulty managing everyday tasks at home

• increased falls risk or home safety concerns

• changes in memory, attention, or routine management

• reduced confidence with showering, dressing, cooking, or household activities

• declining function after illness, surgery, or hospitalisation

• difficulty using the bathroom or moving safely around the home

• a need for equipment or assistive technology

• consideration of home modifications

• support to remain living at home more safely and independently

• carer concerns about function, safety, or daily routines
  
  

This service may also be suitable for older adults receiving support through:

• Support at Home

• Commonwealth Home Support Programme where applicable

• private payment

• eligible Medicare referrals where clinically appropriate

• DVA referrals where appropriate

Providers can set prices for Support at Home services, and participants have budgets based on assessed needs and funding arrangements.

A Practical and Functional Approach

At Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health, we focus on the everyday tasks and routines that matter most to the individual. For some people, that may mean making the bathroom safer, finding equipment that improves confidence, or helping them manage dressing and showering more independently. 

For others, it may involve supporting safer movement around the home, improving kitchen access, recommending modifications, or helping carers understand practical strategies that reduce risk and improve function.

Our occupational therapy approach is designed to be realistic, person-centred, and closely linked to how the person lives day to day.

What to Expect at an Appointment

Your occupational therapy appointment will usually begin with a discussion about current concerns, daily routines, physical and cognitive function, home environment, safety, supports, and goals. Your occupational therapist may assess how you manage everyday tasks, move around the home, use current equipment, and where barriers to independence or safety are occurring.

Recommendations are tailored to the individual and may include practical strategies, equipment suggestions, home modification recommendations, task simplification, environmental adjustments, education, and therapy planning linked to daily life.

Occupational Therapy That Supports Independence at Home

Our goal is not simply to complete an assessment. We focus on helping older adults maintain or improve function in the places and routines that matter most. Depending on the person’s needs, this may include support for:

• getting in and out of the shower safely

• using the toilet or bathroom with greater confidence

• dressing and grooming more independently

• preparing meals more safely

• moving around the home with less difficulty

• identifying equipment that may improve function

• recommending changes to reduce hazards and support access

• supporting routines, memory, and day-to-day organisation

• helping people remain at home more safely for longer
  
  

A Supportive Allied Health Environment

We aim to provide occupational therapy for older adults in a professional, respectful, and supportive environment. Our clinics in Malaga and Noranda provide access to allied health services, and we also offer mobile appointments where home-based assessment is more appropriate.

Depending on the person’s needs and the suitability of the service, occupational therapy may be available in clinic, in the home, or via telehealth.

FAQ

Can older adults access occupational therapy through Support at Home?

Yes. Occupational therapy is one of the clinical supports available under the Support at Home program, depending on the person’s assessed needs, service approval, and provider arrangements.

Is Support at Home the same as Home Care Package?

Support at Home replaced the former Home Care Packages program on 1 November 2025. Many people still use the phrase Home Care Package when talking about their funding or provider arrangements.

Can you invoice my provider directly?

Where approved and arranged, yes. We can invoice the client’s provider directly for occupational therapy services.

What does an occupational therapist do for older adults?

An occupational therapist helps older adults manage daily activities more safely and independently. This may include assessment of self-care, home safety, equipment needs, routines, cognition, and practical strategies that support function at home and in the community.

Can occupational therapy help with home safety?

Yes. Occupational therapists may assess the home environment, identify safety risks, recommend equipment, and suggest changes that support safer movement and daily living.

Can occupational therapy help with equipment and home modifications?

Yes. Occupational therapists may recommend assistive technology, bathroom equipment, mobility-related equipment, and home modifications where clinically appropriate. Support at Home includes access to equipment and home modifications through approved pathways.

Can occupational therapy help after hospitalisation?

Yes. Occupational therapy may assist after illness, injury, surgery, or hospitalisation by helping people rebuild safe routines, manage everyday tasks, and identify supports that may improve independence at home.

Is occupational therapy only for people with dementia?

No. Occupational therapy is not limited to memory concerns. It may also support older adults with physical limitations, falls risk, reduced confidence, equipment needs, home safety concerns, and changes in day-to-day function.

Do you provide home visits for older adults?

Yes, in some cases occupational therapy may be available through mobile services, particularly where home-based assessment is important to understanding safety, access, and function.

Do I need a referral to see an occupational therapist?

Many people can enquire directly. Some may also attend with a referral from their GP, provider, hospital team, care coordinator, support coordinator, or another health professional depending on their funding and circumstances.

Book Occupational Therapy for Older Adults

If you or a family member are looking for support with safety, independence, daily activities, equipment, home modifications, or function at home, contact Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health to discuss whether occupational therapy for older adults may be appropriate.

We are able to assist older adults accessing services through Support at Home, and where approved and arranged, we can invoice the provider directly.

Appointments may be available in clinic, via mobile services, or through telehealth where appropriate.

Home Assessments

We can provide home-based assessments to identify barriers to safety, mobility and independence. This may include reviewing access, transfers, bathroom setup, bedroom layout, mobility within the home, and practical considerations for daily living.

Home Modifications

Where clinically appropriate, we can assess and make recommendations for home modifications intended to improve accessibility, function and safety. 

Depending on the person’s needs, this may include recommendations relating to bathroom access, rails, ramps, step access, circulation space, or other environmental changes. 

Recommendations are based on assessment findings, clinical reasoning and the relevant funding pathway. 

For DVA clients, RAP can cover eligible home modifications where there is a clinically assessed need and approval requirements are met.

Capacity & Functional Assessments

We can complete functional and capacity-focused assessments that help clarify how a person is managing mobility, transfers, self-care, daily activities and safety within their home environment. These assessments may help inform service planning, support recommendations and equipment decisions.

Mobility Aid Prescription, Trials & Delivery Support

We can assist with the assessment and prescription of suitable mobility aids and daily living equipment, including trials and practical recommendations where appropriate. Depending on the client’s needs, this may include support relating to:

• walking aids

• wheelchairs and mobility devices

• transfer aids

• bathroom and toileting equipment

• seating and positioning supports

• selected activities of daily living aids
  
  

For eligible DVA clients, the Rehabilitation Appliances Program provides aids, equipment and modifications to support safety and independence, including mobility devices and adaptive household items where clinically indicated.

What is Support at Home?

Support at Home is the Australian Government’s in-home aged care program for eligible older people. It replaced the Home Care Packages Program on 1 November 2025.

Do you provide home visits for seniors in Perth?

Yes. Depending on location, therapist availability and clinical suitability, we can provide mobile home visits as well as clinic appointments in Malaga and Noranda.

Can I come to the clinic instead of having a home visit?

Yes. Some older adults prefer attending the clinic, while others benefit more from home-based assessment and support. The most suitable option depends on the person’s needs and goals.

What therapies do you offer for older adults?

We offer physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy and speech pathology for older adults, depending on the person’s needs and the service required.

Can you help with mobility aids and equipment?

Yes. We can assist with assessment, prescription support, equipment trials and practical recommendations for suitable mobility aids and selected daily living equipment.

Do you provide home modification assessments?

Yes. We can assess the home environment and make recommendations to improve safety, access and independence where clinically appropriate.

Can I use Medicare for allied health?

Some clients may be eligible for Medicare-funded allied health through a GP chronic condition management referral. Eligible patients can access up to 5 individual allied health services per calendar year.

Can DVA clients access equipment and home modifications?

Eligible DVA clients may be able to access aids, equipment and home modifications through RAP where there is a clinically assessed need and the relevant approval requirements are met.

Do you accept private health insurance?

Some services may be claimable through private health insurance depending on your cover and the provider rules. It is best to confirm with your insurer.

How do I get started with Support at Home services?

Older people usually begin through My Aged Care and the aged care assessment process. Once services are approved, therapy and allied health supports can be arranged in line with the person’s assessed needs and service plan.

Support at Home

Support at Home is the Australian Government’s in-home aged care program for eligible older people. It replaced the Home Care Packages Program on 1 November 2025 and is designed to help older people remain at home for longer with assessed supports and services. Access generally starts through My Aged Care and an assessment process.

Private Health Insurance

Some services may be claimable through private health insurance depending on your level of cover, the discipline involved and your insurer’s rules. We recommend checking directly with your fund.

Medicare GP Chronic Condition Management

Some clients may be eligible for a referral from their GP under a GP chronic condition management plan for allied health services. For eligible patients, Medicare can provide benefits for up to 5 individual allied health services per calendar year, depending on referral and claiming requirements.

DVA

Eligible DVA clients may be able to access certain aids, equipment and home modifications through the Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP), based on assessed clinical need and the relevant prescribing requirements.

Private Fee-Paying Services

We also welcome private clients who want direct access to allied health support for mobility, home safety, equipment, rehabilitation, communication, daily living, or healthy ageing.