Functional Capacity Assessments

So, it’s been suggested you should get a Functional Capacity Assessment for either yourself, your child or someone you know.  Here’s some information that might help you understand the process a little better. 

What is a Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA)? 

Functional Capacity Assessments are often called FCAs for short.  

An FCA is a comprehensive evaluation designed to measure a person’s ability to perform various tasks and activities in their daily life, considering physical, cognitive, psychological and emotional factors.   The aim of most FCAs, is to determine an individual’s functional limitations and capabilities. 

Occupational Therapists are ideally qualified to conduct these assessments because our profession’s broad understanding of all aspects of functioning. 

The process involves observing a person performing everyday tasks within their home and sometimes work and community environments. This might also take place in our clinic if that is where you normally see your therapist. FCAs also involve completing written assessments (filling in questionnaires), and assessments conducted via interviews.  These components are normally conducted over two or more sessions. 

FCAs are often used in: 

• Healthcare rehabilitation settings  
• Workplace settings 
• And within the NDIS  

Overall, Functional Capacity Assessments can be used in a range of settings to provide insights into an individual’s functional strengths and challenges. 

How are Functional Capacity Assessments used within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)? 

Functional Capacity Assessments (FCAs) are typically required during the planning stages of the NDIS process. FCAs help identify the functional capacities and limitations of individuals with disabilities, assisting in the formulation of tailored support strategies. 

These assessments can be helpful in communicating the specific challenges faced by participants in daily activities, social interactions, and community engagement to the people who are making NDIS funding decisions.  In ideal situations, the results of FCAs guide the allocation of funding and resources within the NDIS framework, so that participants receive the necessary support to enhance their independence and quality of life. 

FCAs are most often conducted by allied health professionals, such as Occupational Therapists.   Ideally, the information gathered through the FCA process helps NDIS planners and participants collaborate to develop support plans that align with the individual’s goals and needs.    

OUR THERAPIES therapists use FCAs to promote person-centered practice within the NDIS.  We use FCA evidence to advocate for NDIS plans that better meet your needs.  An example might be advocating for more CORE supports (like support workers), or a bigger therapy budget to meet your goals. 

When are Functional Capacity Assessments used within the NDIS? 

FCA’s are typically utilised during the NDIS Plan Review stage. 

Plan Reviews occur when: 

• You are at the end of your NDIS Plan period (and your plan isn’t being automatically rolled over) 
• You have experienced a Change of Circumstances that has impacted on your daily functioning, or  
• You may be exploring supported accommodation options.  

When should you NOT get an FCA conducted? 

In most cases, you do not need an FCA completed at the beginning of your NDIS Plan period. 

FCAs are time-consuming, and in all honesty, costly exercises, that will be considered by the NDIS out of date, by the time your Plan Review comes around.   

* In general, the NDIS request functional assessments be no more than 6 months old.   This means that an assessment conducted at the beginning of a one or two year plan, will likely be considered out of date by the time of your Plan Review.  

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us at admin@ourtherapies.com.au  

If you do think you require a Functional Capacity Assessment, referral can be made on the Contact Us page of our website www.ourtherapies.com.au 

Parent Coaching

Parent coaching helps you support your child in everyday life. You and your occupational therapist work together to understand your child’s needs, build on their strengths and find approaches that fit your family.

Children spend much of their time at home, in the community and in education settings. Coaching gives parents, guardians and other key carers space to discuss what is happening in these settings and explore practical ways to respond.

What Sessions Can Involve

• Understanding your child’s strengths, interests and areas of difficulty.
• Reflecting on family routines, relationships and support needs.
• Learning about your child’s needs and choosing realistic goals together.
• Practising strategies and building your confidence in using them.
• Adapting activities and surroundings when changing the demands is more useful than developing a new skill.
• Discussing your concerns and feelings without your child present.

Choosing the Approach

Coaching may be the main approach or work alongside individual or parent–child sessions. Your therapist will explain why it may suit your child’s needs, age and stage of development. Telehealth may be an option when attending in person is difficult.

Coaching can also support families and carers of adolescents and adults when appropriate. The person’s preferences, consent and support needs guide this work.

Explore our parent and family support service, or email admin@ourtherapies.com.au to discuss suitability and availability.

Sensory Systems: What Are They and Why Are They Important?

Our senses give us information about our surroundings and what is happening inside our bodies. This information helps us make sense of everyday experiences and respond to them.

Our Sensory Systems

The five familiar senses are sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Three other sensory systems are:

• Vestibular: information about movement and the position of our head, which contributes to balance and posture.
• Proprioception: information from our muscles and joints about body position and movement.
• Interoception: awareness of signals inside our bodies, such as breathing, heartbeat, hunger and the need to use the toilet.

People notice and respond to sensory information differently. The same experience may feel comforting to one person and uncomfortable or overwhelming to another.

Sensory Experiences in Everyday Life

You may already choose activities or surroundings that help you feel more comfortable. Examples include listening to familiar music, looking at favourite photographs, walking, gardening, reading somewhere quiet or wrapping yourself in a comfortable blanket.

Think about what has helped you before and what fits your needs now. Small changes to an activity or your surroundings may be more practical than setting aside a fixed amount of time each day. Choose experiences that feel comfortable and safe for you.

Occupational therapy considers how sensory experiences affect the activities, roles and routines that matter to you. Explore sensory processing assessment and support or occupational therapy for everyday life.

When the World Becomes Unfamiliar: How Do You Take Care of Yourself?

This article was written in August 2020 during COVID-19 restrictions. For current services, explore adult mental health occupational therapy and Australia-wide telehealth.

2020, what a long year it has been so far and we still have months left of it to go. We do not know what lies ahead, we do not know how long we will need to live with social distancing and other restrictions to who we can spend our time with, how we can spend our time or where we can go to experience the world around us. Will social distancing be our new normal? I mean, what was pre-COVID-19 life like anyway right?

I suspect in years to come, we will speak with others living through COVID-19 now about “those were the days…” and sharing stories with our children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren about life pre- and during COVID-19, reminiscing over the good times, and reflecting on the challenging ones.

It almost seems that COVID-19 came upon us, came upon the world so quickly that we really did not have a lot of time to prepare ourselves, our children, and our communities for the very significant changes to our everyday. We were thrust into the unknown at full speed with no stop button.

Managing the unknown, coping with change when there is no time to prepare, hearing and reading news stories everyday sharing information about this COVID-19 virus spreading quickly all over the world and in many cases people are dying from it, and managing our own thoughts and feelings about the current situation we each find ourselves and those we love, and even those we don’t even know, are just some of the things that have been foreign to me prior to March this year.

Don’t get me wrong, I have lived through changes in plans, having to do things with little to no preparation, hearing and reading concerning news stories including life-ending situations, but none of my past experiences could have prepared me for COVID-19.

One of the things that generally is the first to go when we find ourselves in an unfamiliar and stressful situation is doing things to take care of ourselves. When I say “take care of ourselves” I don’t mean just making sure we bathe or shower, we feed ourselves the most basic food and water, clothe or shelter ourselves. I mean doing things that make us feel good. Doing things that help us manage our stress more effectively.

Taking time out of the everyday grind, out of the overwhelming stress that is living through COVID to do the “non-essentials” of having a warm bath with lavender, doing an online yoga class, making time for a 20-30 minute walk most or every day, talking with a much loved friend on the phone or via Zoom, doing a crossword puzzle, reading a book by your favourite author, giving and receiving a hand massage with a family member, putting your favourite music on and singing and dancing along, baking your favourite cookies, sitting down with a cuppa, or even spending time sorting through and organising your pantry if that brings you joy.

I know that I need to give myself permission and allocate more time to do things that bring me joy, make me feel good and allow me to have a period of time most days, if not all, to not have COVID-19 taking up too much of my brain space. I promise to myself to keep working towards prioritising “taking care of myself” time from now on. I suspect I will have many bumps and obstacles, mainly my own tendency to see other things in my life –

• making sure my two young children have their needs met
• doing the tasks my small private practice needs done especially ensuring the families I support are receiving the best therapy I can provide, and
• working in partnership with my husband to keep our house and finances in order

as more “essential” than doing things that are specifically aimed at providing my mind and body time to restore and rejuvenate. But I am going to keep trying, and keep getting back on my “taking care of myself” path after any and every little or big bump in my way.

What do you think you could do to restore and rejuvenate your mind and body? What can you do to prioritise time in your day or week to do things to take care of yourself?