What is reablement?

Reablement is a short-term service that helps you to do as much as possible for yourself at home. You will work with the reablement team if you are no longer able to cope with everyday living. That could be if you struggle to do things for yourself, or after a stay in hospital. The team will help to identify the right level of support you need to keep living safely at home.

The reablement team is made up of reablement workers, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The team will work with you and your family or other important people in your life.

This will be over a number of visits to:

• help you to do the activities you need to do or want to do
• help you to make your home safe
• provide and teach you to use aids and equipment that make doing things easier at home
• connect you with community support to keep you well after the service has finished.

How it works

You will agree goals that are important to you. This will focus on the activities you need or want to do, for example making a hot drink or managing a shower on your own.

The reablement team will work with you and your family or unpaid carers to help agree your goals. They will assess you and help to come up with a plan to achieve your goals in a realistic way.

Reablement works best if you take an active part in your own care. As you make progress it is likely that your goals will change. Reablement will change with you so that we keep focusing on what is important to you.

Assessments

Reablement starts with an assessment. This will be carried out by a member of our reablement team. Together you’ll talk about our service and help identify any key care needs.

After the assessment:

• We will agree goals with you to start reablement. This will involve the reablement team, you, and any family or other important people in your life.
• We will check your reablement progress regularly. If your needs change, the support you’re getting will change too.
• We will also look at your progress in more detail at weeks four and six. You will be asked for feedback about your experience at these points.

Visits

Reablement visits happen in the morning, afternoon, and evening. You could get more than one visit in a day, depending on your needs and current goals.

Visits are flexible. The number, timings and length of your visits will change as you progress and your goals change.

Your reablement team is made up of different workers. You might see different people during your time in reablement.

After reablement

When you come to the end of reablement we will talk to you about your needs and goals and if you still need support. If you do need support, we will talk to you about your options and help you find the support you need. We can help you to get support from one of our partner or community organisations.