Average wait for occupational therapy service is four years

THE lengthy average waiting time for an occupational therapist in Tallaght “is failing us” as staff issues in Ballyboden and other areas were noted.

The average waits for occupational therapy service in HSE region Dublin West is up to four years while Dublin South West is eight months.

The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability is a grant you can get if you have a physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability.

HSE Occupational Therapists assess an individual’s functional needs and provide supporting reports outlining any recommended home adaptations where appropriate.

Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe lamented a lack of OTs in the local area, including no occupational therapists at the Ballyboden Primary Care Centre and missing staff at the Old County Road site in Crumlin.

Deputy Crowe said: “The system is failing us that we’re not getting those key staff and it’s understandable then that other people with particular skills are moving to other jurisdictions where there’s not a backlog or a huge challenge in relation to their day-to-day work.

“They’re looking at the quality of life. If we don’t match those international supports, we will continue to go through the cycle of recruiting and failing.”

Ramps, wheelchair access spaces, necessary home extensions, accessible facilities such as an accessible shower or stairlift, grab rails and more are upgrades that can be delivered at homes through the grant.

The HSE stated that some of the wait times for the OT services remain “longer than desired” due to overwhelming demand.

It stated: “While the HSE aims to provide assessments in a timely manner, waiting times for Occupational Therapy services remain longer than desired in some areas due to demand exceeding current service capacity.

“Unfrotunately, waiting times for the Occupational Therapy service continue to be impacted by workforce capacity challenges and increasing demand for services.

The national provider of public health and social care services added that it continues to take measures to address the wait times and improve access to the supports.

Deputy Crowe noted that the delays have “a huge impact on people” in the local communities.

He added that these delays are happening to supports that could be “life-changing” for those seeking them.

“This is having a huge impact on people. They’re waiting on simple things that can be life-changing in relation to supports for older people, or people with a disability etc.

“It’s not a fluid thing where, if you have a fall or something, those supports would slot in, and that hasn’t been happening.”