Assessments

Our occupational therapists carry out comprehensive home safety assessments to facilitate the client's smooth transition from hospital to home. This can involve prescription of adaptive equipment, and home modifications to improve the client's safety and independence when performing the activities of daily living. Recommendations can also include provision of support services such as personal care and home making, and referrals to other rehabilitation professionals. Where appropriate, clients are transitioned to an active rehabilitation program in the community to help them achieve their full functional potential.

The AMPS is a standardized observation-based evaluation of a person’s quality of performance of relevant, chosen, and prioritized personal or domestic activities of daily living tasks (www.ampsintl.com). The quality of ADL performance is assessed by rating the effort, efficiency, safety, and independence of 16 ADL motor and 20 ADL process skill items. The AMPs is used to:

• Test a person in a relevant and familiar environment as he or she performs ADL tasks.
• Measure the degree to which a person’s ADL task performances are free of increased clumsiness or physical effort, decreased efficiency, safety risk, and/or need for assistance.
• Score the quality of 16 ADL motor and 20 ADL process performance skills.

At Life Skills Therapy, we have occupational therapists that are trained and certified in administering AMPS. The results of the AMPS can be used to document baseline quality of ADL task performance, the effectiveness of OT interventions, and change in ADL ability over time.

BrainFx 360 is a new, comprehensive, standardized, research-based digital assessment tool that is designed to measure the functional impact of mild to moderate brain injury or disorder. It is designed for those at risk for, or who have experienced concussion, brain injury, stroke, dementia or other brain disorders (Brainfx.com).

The assessment includes 50 everyday activities to measure performance on 30 cognitive skills. It can be completed within two hours. The assessment is scored immediately with a report that can be shared with the healthcare team for recommendations. Baseline and subsequent reports can be compared to measure change and provide a functional outcome measure.

Our vision is of a seating/power mobility system that is geared towards facilitating stability, postural control, function, and independence. Our therapists have specialised training in seating and complex postural management. Services may also include collaboration with vendors, and completing documentation for the fee payors.

This includes an analysis of the work environment and the client’s work style to identify and remove risk factors that may result from high repetition, and awkward postures. All assessments are conducted by experienced occupational therapists. Recommendations include use of ergonomics principles, and equipment modification to reduce the impact of risk factors and maximize productivity.

A Job Demands Analysis is used to objectively measure the physical, cognitive and psychosocial demands associated with a job. The JDA provides physicians, therapists, insurance adjusters, and employers with exact and detailed job requirements. The results can be used to assist with return to work planning, determining job and task suitability, pre-employment hiring, and training employees.

A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is a comprehensive assessment that measures a client’s current functional abilities and physical tolerances. FCEs provide objective information about an individual’s ability to perform work related tasks, and identify transferable physical skills.

After completion of the FCE, a comprehensive report is prepared with recommendations in one or more of the following areas: intervention to assist with return to work, graduated return to work schedules, work site modifications, safe parameters for re-entering the workforce, and client’s rehabilitation potential.