NDIS occupational therapy in North Lakes: assessments, equipment and housing evidence

North Lakes is one of the South East Queensland areas Bloom Healthcare services. Occupational therapy here is delivered mobile, which means the therapist comes to your home, school, workplace or community setting rather than you travelling to a clinic. The work most people book us for locally is evidence work: functional capacity assessments, assistive technology and wheelchair prescription, home modifications and SDA, SIL or ILO housing assessments. All of it produces a report the NDIA can act on. To start, call 1300 771 465, or book an appointment.

For the full picture of what occupational therapy is, who is eligible and how it is funded, see Occupational Therapy. This page covers the local catchment and the assessment work.

Where we cover around North Lakes

North Lakes is listed in our South East Queensland coverage alongside Brisbane, Caboolture, Ipswich, Logan, Redland Bay, Springfield and the Sunshine Coast, with Bundaberg, Cairns, the Gold Coast and Townsville covered elsewhere in Queensland. See South East Queensland services or the full location guide.

If your suburb is not named in that list, do not assume we cannot reach you. Coverage depends on which clinicians are working in the area at the time. Call and ask rather than guessing.

How services are delivered locally

The primary delivery method is mobile and community based. That means:

• In your home, which is where a home modification, equipment or housing assessment has to happen anyway
• At school, for children where that is agreed and appropriate
• At your workplace, where work participation is the goal
• In the community, for the settings you actually use

Clinic appointments can be arranged in select cases on request. It is not the default, and for the assessments below it is usually the wrong setting, because the point is to see how you function in your own environment.

Office hours are Monday to Thursday 7:30am to 6:00pm, Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm, and Saturday by appointment. Email is hello@bloom-healthcare.com.au.

Functional capacity assessments

A functional capacity assessment (FCA) is a structured evaluation of what you can and cannot do across the domains of daily life, and how physical, cognitive and emotional factors affect that. It is broader than a standard occupational therapy assessment.

What it evaluates

• physical ability, including walking, balance, fine and gross motor function and posture
• cognitive and emotional function, including memory, attention, decision making and emotional regulation
• communication, including speech clarity, understanding, expression and social communication
• self-care such as personal hygiene, grooming and dressing
• mobility and independence of movement
• social and community participation
• environmental factors, including how your home and equipment help or hinder you
• work and leisure participation

Why the domains matter

To qualify for NDIS funding, an applicant has to show support needs across the six functional capacity eligibility domains: self-care, self-management, mobility, learning, communication and social functioning. An FCA works systematically through these and produces the evidence in the terms the NDIA is looking for. It turns "support is needed" into documentation that links findings to functional impact and goals.

How long it takes

An individual assessment session usually runs 1 to 4 hours depending on complexity. The full functional capacity assessment and report is commonly estimated at around 12 hours of professional time when done by an occupational therapist, a psychologist, or both together. Assessment can be in person at home, in the community or at a clinic, by telehealth, or a mix.

What it is used for

• An NDIS access request. First-time applicants use an FCA to establish eligibility and evidence functional impact.
• A first plan. To set therapy goals and justify the supports being requested.
• A change in circumstances. After a medical event, an injury, or a change in capacity in either direction.
• A plan reassessment. Reports for reassessment have to explain the approach taken and give evidence of outcomes and progress toward goals. An FCA gives the baseline that progress is measured against.
• A tribunal appeal. If you are unhappy with an internal review outcome, you can appeal the NDIA's decision to the tribunal within 28 days. An FCA completed by an occupational therapist is recognised as qualified evidence of support needs in those proceedings.

How to prepare for one

• keep a diary of the tasks you cannot do, or cannot do without help
• collect previous assessments, medical records and therapy notes
• think about what you want to achieve, not just what is wrong
• note what helps, what makes things worse, and what triggers overwhelm

Family and carers add a lot here, because they see the daily reality. Support coordinators, plan managers, local area coordinators and your other health providers are usually part of the picture too.

If you are still preparing an access request, ask about the NDIS Readiness Package, which is a 1 hour consultation plus a 1.5 hour brief functional capacity assessment report to give you preliminary evidence.

Assistive technology and wheelchair prescription

Assistive technology is funded from Capital Supports, separately from your therapy budget, and it needs its own evidence. The occupational therapist does the assessment and writes the justification.

The NDIS groups assistive technology into three tiers:

• Low cost. Everyday and simple adaptive items, such as a grab rail, a pick up stick, or a four wheeled walker.
• Mid cost. More specialised equipment, such as a scripted manual wheelchair, a scooter, a bed, or a pressure reduction mattress.
• High cost. Complex specialised equipment, generally scripted power chairs.

The assessment reviews your function and matches it to equipment that is fit for purpose, safe and usable. It includes trials of the equipment where possible, liaison with suppliers, training you to use it, and a written report documenting functional impact and why the recommendation meets the reasonable and necessary criteria. An assistive technology assessment commonly takes 10 to 20 hours depending on complexity, and is charged on time actually spent.

For a wheelchair specifically, the therapist assesses mobility function, sitting tolerance, transfer safety, and your ability to propel or control the chair, then links the prescription to your functional limits and daily living goals such as community access or reducing carer strain.

For a bed or mattress, the assessment covers whether a standard bed is suitable or a specialised one is needed, and documents pressure injury risk, transfer and mobility difficulty, positioning and sleep needs related to disability, and carer manual handling safety.

We also assess and prescribe hoists and slings, shower chairs and commode chairs.

Home modifications

Home modifications are also Capital Supports and have their own approval pathway. The occupational therapist assesses your function, your current home environment, and whether the recommendations line up with the reasonable and necessary criteria. The NDIA looks at whether the modifications are related to your disability, aligned to your function, effective at supporting independence and safety, and value for money, and whether other supports were considered.

There are two levels:

• Minor home modifications, covering straightforward changes such as grab rails, ramps and bathroom safety work. Assessment is commonly estimated at up to 10 hours, covering initial assessment, liaison with builders and other people involved, a site visit with the builder if required, and report writing.
• Complex home modifications, meaning extensive structural or design changes. Assessment is commonly estimated at 15 to 20 hours, and includes multiple site visits with the builder.

Assessment covers multiple rooms where that is what the situation calls for. Obtaining quotes and attending site visits with builders is part of the process, and is time that has to be planned for.

Housing assessments: SDA, SIL and ILO

If where you live is the question rather than how you manage in it, this is the assessment stream. The therapist assesses your function, aligns it with the relevant housing hierarchy, and determines the supports and environmental features most likely to let you live independently, safely and sustainably.

• Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. It is purpose-built or specialist housing. SDA is a mandatory registration service type, so providers delivering it must be registered with the NDIS Commission.
• Supported Independent Living (SIL) funds support to live independently in your own home. It is also a mandatory registration service type. Assessment looks at your functional capacity, your current living situation, the level and type of support you need day to day, and environmental factors affecting whether SIL is viable.
• Individualised Living Options (ILO) is the least intensive of the three, for people who need minimal accommodation-based support. Assessment looks at your functional abilities and independence in daily tasks, your support needs relative to standard community housing, and what the environment has to provide.

The process runs as initial assessment, home environment evaluation, communication with the people involved in your support, and a report with recommendations aligned to the reasonable and necessary criteria.

Autism and ADHD support in North Lakes

Autism is the most common primary disability among NDIS participants, and much of our local paediatric work reflects that. Occupational therapy for autistic people focuses on sensory regulation, daily living and self-care skills, fine and gross motor development, emotional regulation strategies, and visual supports and structured routines that reduce anxiety around transitions. Social and communication work is usually done alongside speech pathology.

For ADHD the emphasis is executive functioning, planning, task completion and time management, sensory processing as it affects attention, routine and habit building, emotional regulation, and adjusting the environment to reduce overwhelm at school or work.

A diagnosis on its own does not decide funding. What matters for a plan is the functional impact, written as daily-life goals such as increasing independence with showering or building a routine to attend community activities, rather than as a diagnosis alone.

What to have ready when you refer

A referral moves faster when it includes:

• participant details and NDIS number
• plan dates and how the plan is managed, whether self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed
• current goals as they are written in the plan
• the daily life problem you want solved
• relevant diagnoses and functional impact
• risks such as falls, choking or carer strain
• what supports are in place and what is not working
• your preferred setting, and whether there is anything the therapist should know about access to the home
• consent and contact details

If you are asking for an assessment, say which one and what it is for, for example a wheelchair review, a bathroom modification, an access request, or a plan reassessment due in a certain month. That determines who is allocated and how much time is set aside.

How to book in North Lakes

Call 1300 771 465, book an appointment or contact us. Referrals are accepted from participants themselves, parents and carers, support coordinators, GPs and paediatricians, schools, SIL providers and community teams. You do not need a GP referral for NDIS occupational therapy.

A plain English guide is available: download the NDIS and Occupational Therapy Easy Read guide.

Fees, travel and cancellation terms are set out in your service agreement before services start, within the NDIS pricing arrangements. For current pricing in your situation, call 1300 771 465.

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Common questions about occupational therapy in North Lakes

Do you have a clinic in North Lakes?

Our primary delivery method is mobile, so the therapist comes to your home, school, workplace or community setting. Clinic appointments can be arranged in select cases on request. For equipment, home modification and housing assessments, seeing your actual environment is the point, so those are done at home regardless.

What number should I call?

Call 1300 771 465. That is the number for North Lakes and for every other Bloom location. You can also email hello@bloom-healthcare.com.au or use the referral form.

Do I need a GP referral?

No. You can refer yourself for NDIS occupational therapy. Referrals also come from parents and carers, support coordinators, GPs and paediatricians, schools, SIL providers and community teams.

How long does a functional capacity assessment take?

An individual assessment session usually runs 1 to 4 hours. The complete assessment and report is commonly estimated at around 12 hours of professional time, because the report writing, liaison and interpretation are most of the work.

Can an FCA be used to appeal an NDIA decision?

Yes. A functional capacity assessment completed by an occupational therapist is recognised as qualified evidence of support needs for tribunal proceedings. If you are unhappy with an internal review outcome, the appeal window is 28 days, so get the assessment booked early rather than after the deadline is close.

Who pays for my wheelchair, the equipment or the modification?

Assistive technology and home modifications are funded from Capital Supports, which is separate from your therapy budget and needs its own approval. The occupational therapy assessment and report is what supports the request. The therapy budget pays for the assessment, not the item.

What is the difference between a minor and a complex home modification?

Minor covers straightforward changes such as grab rails, ramps and bathroom safety items, with assessment commonly estimated at up to 10 hours. Complex covers extensive structural or design changes, with assessment commonly estimated at 15 to 20 hours and multiple site visits with the builder.

How long does approval take?

That is the NDIA's timeframe, not ours, and it varies. What is inside our control is the quality and completeness of the evidence, and getting the assessment started early enough that the report is not the thing holding up your plan. Ask about current availability when you call.

Which housing option should I be assessed for?

That is what the assessment decides. SDA is for extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, SIL funds support to live independently in your own home, and ILO is the least intensive option. The therapist assesses your function against the housing hierarchy and recommends the option most likely to be approved and most likely to work for you.

Can you see my child at their school in North Lakes?

Yes, where that is agreed and appropriate. School is often the right setting for work on participation, routines, sensory load and transitions. Home is often better for self-care and daily living goals. It is a conversation at the start of therapy.

My child has an autism diagnosis. Does that mean automatic NDIS funding?

No. Access and funding turn on permanent and significant disability and its functional impact, not on the diagnosis by itself. Goals written as daily impact, such as increasing independence with showering, carry more weight in a plan than a diagnosis alone. An assessment is what documents that impact.

What if I need physiotherapy or speech pathology as well?

We deliver physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology and counselling, exercise physiology, positive behaviour support and dietitian services in the same region, and these are frequently delivered alongside occupational therapy. Mention it at referral so it can be coordinated rather than booked twice.