Why are Occupational Therapists well suited to completing the SIL assessment?
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is assistance provided to NDIS participants with daily tasks to develop required skills to live as independently as possible. The role of the Occupational Therapist (OT) is to match the participant and their level of ability to the support level that meets their needs. This means having supports available for a participant to maximise their capacity to be as independent as possible with household decision-making, personal care and domestic tasks. OTs are trained to assess the whole person. By considering the various aspects of a person, their occupations and their environments an OT has a holistic view that considers the barriers people face as well as areas they thrive in.
The SIL assessment is based on observation, interview and assessment all aimed at supporting the person to live their best life. The SIL assessment considers various factors to make recommendations on areas such as:
- Daily living skills – physical, neurological, cognitive, communication needs, and capacity to live with others
- Psychosocial assessment and functional ability
- Support needs – housing options previously tried or should be tried
- If SDA – building type and design category
- Possible areas of concern
The recommendations will include strategies to increase independence and capacity, and any assistance that may be required. The SIL assessment will also take into consideration other issues that may affect a person’s support needs, such as locality to services and support networks, desire to remain in a local community and close to cultural connections, or if employed, the location of the participant’s workplace.
The SIL assessment, when reviewed by the NDIS, will help determine the reasonable and necessary funding for a plan to be implemented.
Find out more about SIL on the NDIS website:
https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/essentials-providers-working-ndia/supported-independent-living