Reablement service
Reablement can help you do things for yourself rather than relying on other people. The service is for people aged 65 and over living in their own home. To get the service, your doctor, social worker or a nurse must refer you to reablement in the local Trust.
What the service can do for you
Reablement is a short term assessment and support service. It usually lasts six weeks or less and takes place in your own home.
The reablement service is made up of a team including:
- reablement occupational therapists
- reablement support workers
The team will support you to become more independent in daily activities, such as:
- personal care (washing, showering/bathing)
- getting dressed and undressed
- getting into and out of bed or a chair
- toileting and promoting continence
- taking your medication
- meal preparation
- moving around your home
- social activities, such as luncheon clubs
People who can use the service
You can use the reablement service if you are over 65 and:
- require a support package (such as a domiciliary care package)
- need an increase in your existing support package to help you with your daily living activities
- if you have experienced a crisis, such as illness, deterioration in health or sustained an injury
The service is available in the five Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland.
How you can get the service
To get the service, a health and social care professional needs to refer you to the local Trust's reablement team. For example:
- your GP
- a nurse
- a social worker
can refer you.
This can happen when you leave hospital or from your local health and social care office.
What happens once you have been referred
When you have been offered the service, a reablement occupational therapist will:
- visit you in your home
- carry out an assessment of your needs, for example, looking at your daily living activities to find out what you can and cannot do for yourself
- agree an independence plan for you
The reablement support workers will work with you to:
- help and encourage you to practise these daily living activities
- help you regain skills and confidence that you may have lost
This can help you live more independently.
As you improve, the length and frequency of the visits will be reviewed and reduced by the reablement occupational therapist.
After the service finishes
Many people can live independently in their own homes after the service has finished without needing social care support. If you still need support, your health and social care worker will refer you to other services.