The services that the Sensory Team can provide are:
Sensory Assessments
In its simplest form, a sensory assessment is the time when we listen to you and talk with you about how your sensory impairment is affecting you. There are two types of assessments within the Sensory Team:
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Social work assessment
People with a hearing impairment, visual impairment, or a combined hearing and visual impairment may request a social work assessment.
This may result in other agencies or organisations becoming involved and will incorporate the following issues:
- an individual's care needs
- needs of carers
- how sensory impairment affects daily living
- an assessment of risks
- information and advice on issues such as communication, benefits, etc.
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Rehabilitation assessment:
People with a hearing impairment, visual impairment, or a combined hearing and visual impairment may have a rehabilitation assessment.
There are 2 rehabilitation workers, one for visual impairment and one for hearing impairment.
The rehabilitation worker can assist with mobility, communication and daily living skills and they can also advise on education and employment. They can provide equipment to improve everyday living.
Both assessments are carried out to find the best way of assisting you in managing your sensory impairment and how we may be able to help.
Care Packages
A 'care package' is the services you have been assessed as needing, which will be reviewed at regular intervals to make sure they continue to meet your needs.
It can be as simple as a piece of equipment to assist you with daily living or it may be daily assistance with your personal care. In each instance, your needs will have been identified during your assessment.
Rehabilitation Training
The aim of rehabilitation training is to help people adjust to sight loss or hearing loss and remain or become as independent as possible.
The areas covered include mobility, communication and daily living skills.
Mobility Training
One of the main difficulties for people who are blind or visually impaired is getting out and about. Mobility and orientation training is available to help people find the best method for their own situation:
- assessment and selection of appropriate equipment
- advice - safety and risk
- instruction, including long cane training programmes
- review and cane maintenance
- a wide range of white canes are available - the rehabilitation officer will advise you about the canes suitable for you and arrange mobility training if required.
What happens next?
Following assessment, you may need services in order to assist you.
This is known as a 'care package', which consists of the services you have been assessed as needing, and will be reviewed at regular intervals to make sure that it continues to meet your needs.
The person undertaking the assessment may recommend services such as home care, day care, short-term breaks, daily assistance with your personal care or equipment to assist you with daily living.
Whatever your care package consists of, your needs will have been identified during your assessment, and services that are recommended to you will concentrate on issues that are relevant to your sensory impairment. This means that the Sensory Disability Team will try to find ways to ease or lessen the effects of your disability and highlight sensory issues with people who come into contact with people who have sensory impairments.
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