Elements and Performance Criteria
- Elements define the essential outcomes
- Prepare for fitting of assistive equipment
- Confirm assistive equipment details and fitting requirements against the prescribed information provided by the allied health professional
- Confirm with allied health professional specific client needs and abilities
- Confer with allied health professional if fitting requirements are outside scope of role and responsibilities as defined by the organisation
- Determine the clients’ availability, according to the organisation’s protocols
- Gather assistive equipment and any equipment required for fitting
- Prepare the setting for the fitting and instruction for use
- Obtain consent from the clients before commencing the fitting
- Fit assistive equipment
- Provide client with the assistive equipment
- Confirm the suitability of fit, size and that operation of equipment meets expected performance parameters and prescription and conforms to the manufacturer’s guidelines
- Confirm the assistive equipment is in safe working order within the user environment
- Obtain relevant measurements and data where adjustments are required
- Restrict equipment functions for initial or trial periods to enable familiarity and ensure safety
- Document and report the process and outcomes of fitting ensuring that arrangements for further action are implemented
- Document maintenance periods and requirements for the assistive equipment
- Identify any faults and complete necessary documentation
- Confirm that client (and carer) have relevant documentation and understand any further action that needs to be taken
- Support client to use assistive equipment
- Explain and reinforce information about the use of the assistive equipment, in a manner, and at the level and pace, appropriate for the client
- Confirm client understanding and answer any questions
- Confirm that the assistive equipment is clean and in good working order for the client’s requirements before use
- Label, remove from use and report defective assistive equipment to the appropriate person, and ensure an alternative is supplied as promptly as possible
- Remove and minimise potential hazards in the immediate environment
- Educate client and carers in the safe use, transportation and maintenance of the assistive equipment within the context of the users’ indoor and outdoor environments
- Offer appropriate constructive feedback, encouragement and reinforcement
- Provide safe physical support to enable the client to use the assistive equipment
- Identify incorrect use and give verbal feedback and physical guidance
- Monitor the effectiveness of the assistive equipment and report any problems to the appropriate person with minimum delay
- Report any adverse effect, and major progress to the appropriate member of the care team
- Recognise when client becomes distressed, in pain or communicates their desire to slow down, change activity or stop and follow stepping down procedures outlined in treatment plan or organisational guidelines
- Agree relevant trial period and review periods to co-ordinate with client treatment plan
- Complete basic assistive equipment construction and modification
- Obtain equipment construction or modification specifications from allied health professional
- Confirm requirements with allied health professional
- Procure materials required for basic equipment construction and modifications
- Complete construction and modifications according to specifications
- Seek support from allied health professional if difficulty arises meeting the specifications
- Check completed construction and modifications with allied health professional
- Complete and file any required documentation, according to organisation protocols
- Comply with supervisory requirements
- Seek assistance when client presents with needs or signs outside limits of own authority, skills and/or knowledge
- Report client difficulties to the supervising allied health professional for advice before continuing the program
- Participate in supervision processes with the treating allied health professional in accordance with organisational protocol
- Clean and store assistive equipment after use
- Clean assistive equipment according to manufacturer’s recommendations, infection control requirements and organisation protocols
- Store assistive equipment according to manufacturer’s recommendations and the organisation’s protocols
- Report faults to the appropriate person and complete necessary documentation
- Report and document information
- Report suggested adjustments to assistive equipment, together with rationale, to the supervising allied health professional
- Provide client progress feedback to the supervising allied health professional
- Report client difficulties and concerns to the treating allied health professional
- Implement variations to the assistive equipment according to the advice of the treating allied health professional
- Document information about the client use of the assistive equipment according to the organisation’s protocols