How do I get an occupational therapist to come to me on the Sunshine Coast?

On the Sunshine Coast, Bloom Healthcare's occupational therapy is mobile. Clinicians travel to you, in your home, your child's school, your day program or another community setting, rather than asking you to get to a clinic. Clinic appointments are available case by case if that is what you prefer.

That matters here more than in a dense city. The Sunshine Coast spreads from the coastal strip back into the hinterland, and a lot of the people who most need an occupational therapist, older people, people using wheelchairs, families running several appointments a week, are the people for whom a trip to a clinic is the hardest part of the day.

This page covers the local side of it: what Bloom covers in Queensland, how a home visit actually runs, which assessments are available and roughly how long each takes, which budget pays for what, and how to book. To start, call the main line on 1300 771 465.

Where Bloom covers in Queensland

The Sunshine Coast is one of Bloom's Queensland service hubs. Across the state, Bloom services:

• Sunshine Coast
• Brisbane and the greater metropolitan area
• Caboolture and North Lakes
• Ipswich, Logan and Springfield
• Redland Bay
• Gold Coast
• Bundaberg
• Townsville
• Cairns

On the Sunshine Coast, Bloom delivers occupational therapy alongside other allied health, including dietetics, as in-home and community-based NDIS and disability support services. Full details are on the South East Queensland locations page, and you can check the whole network in the location guide.

If your suburb is not named, that is not a no. Coverage extends around each hub. Call with your postcode and you will get a straight answer about whether a clinician can reach you and how soon.

Wait times. Bloom's stated position is low to no wait times, depending on your location and the service you need. Ask for the current wait for an occupational therapy assessment in your area when you call, because it varies with demand.

How a Sunshine Coast home visit works

Bloom's primary delivery method across Queensland is mobile and community-based: clinicians travel to homes, schools, day programs and community settings. Telehealth is available for people who cannot access face-to-face support, which is useful in the hinterland and for follow-ups that do not need the therapist in the room.

There is a clinical reason for the mobile model, not just a convenience one. Occupational therapy is about function in a real environment. You cannot assess whether a bathroom transfer is safe, whether a doorway takes a wheelchair, whether a kitchen is reachable from a seated position, or whether a bedroom setup is causing a falls risk, from a clinic room. Assessing in the actual house is what makes a home modification or equipment recommendation defensible when it goes to the NDIA.

What happens at the first visit

The first meeting is where the therapist gets to know you and your family, discusses your priorities, strengths and communication preferences, and covers the service agreement, consent, privacy and billing. Then they ask about your daily routine and which tasks you find hard.

From there the assessment phase gathers information by:

• observing the person in a natural setting, moving, doing tasks, interacting with others
• discussing routines, activities and interests
• getting to know the key people who affect daily functioning
• completing formal assessments where they are needed
• running a routines-based interview, where you talk through a typical day so the therapist can spot where support would make the most difference

Family members and carers should be there if they can. They give information a single visit will not surface: what a bad day looks like, what has been tried, what stopped working. That detail is what makes an assessment accurate.

How to prepare

• write down the daily tasks that are difficult, slow or need someone else's help, with real examples
• gather existing medical and clinical reports, diagnoses and previous assessments
• note what supports are in place now and what is not working
• think about your goals before the visit, not during it
• flag the rooms or activities you are most worried about

You do not need to prepare the house. The therapist will assess the environment themselves. Being clear about which parts are the problem just focuses the visit.

Worth asking your therapist

• What will success look like in 8 to 12 weeks?
• How will progress be measured?
• Will you visit home, school or community settings as needed?
• What reporting will I get for a plan review or reassessment?
• How will sessions balance strategy, practice and carry-over into everyday life?

The assessments available locally

Functional Capacity Assessment

A Functional Capacity Assessment is a structured evaluation of what you can do across the main areas of daily life. It is broader than a standard occupational therapy assessment, covering physical and cognitive tasks and activities of daily living, and it looks at how physical, cognitive and emotional factors affect your capacity to do everyday things.

An FCA typically covers personal care, mobility, communication, social interaction, work and leisure, across home, school, work and community settings. It uses standardised tests, exercises and simulated tasks, and it records strengths and opportunities as well as limitations.

How long: an FCA typically takes between 1 and 4 hours of assessment, with report writing on top. More comprehensive assessments involving more than one discipline take considerably longer. Ask what is being quoted for your assessment and how the hours break down.

What the report is used for: evidence for NDIS funding decisions, setting therapy goals on a first plan, evidence when circumstances change, plan reviews and reassessments, housing applications, NDIS access requests, and tribunal matters. The report sets out current functional capability, support needs and specific recommendations tied to your goals.

Assistive technology and wheelchair prescription

The therapist reviews your function and matches it to equipment that is safe, fit for purpose and actually usable by you, then supports device trials and training. Recommendations have to be documented with evidence of why the technology is reasonable and necessary and how it improves independence and participation.

Assistive technology falls into three cost tiers:

• Low cost: grab rails, reacher or pick-up sticks, four-wheeled walkers, basic daily living aids
• Mid cost: scripted manual wheelchairs, scooters, specialised beds, pressure reduction mattresses
• High cost: power chairs and complex prescribed mobility equipment

Bloom's Sunshine Coast team also handles beds and mattress prescription, shower chairs and commode chairs, and hoist and sling assessment and prescription. The clinician allocated to you depends on the complexity of what you need.

Home modifications

A home modification assessment covers your function, your current home environment and the barriers and hazards in it, then links the recommendation to your functional needs and shows it meets the NDIA's reasonable and necessary criteria, including long-term use and sustainability.

Modifications range from minor changes to structural work: bathroom safety, access changes to steps, doorways and ramps, kitchen changes for reach and safety, grab rails and stairlifts.

How long: complex home modification assessments typically take in the order of 15 to 20 hours of clinician time and can cover multiple rooms. That is a real chunk of funding, so it needs to be planned rather than assumed.

Housing assessment for SDA, SIL and ILO

If where you live is the question rather than what is in it, an occupational therapist can assess which NDIS housing option fits.

• Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
• Supported Independent Living (SIL) provides support to live independently in your own home.
• Independent Living Options (ILO) relate to independent living arrangements for people with lower support needs.

The assessment evaluates your function, analyses your current home, aligns the result with the relevant housing hierarchy and the reasonable and necessary criteria, and recommends the supports and environmental features that would let you live independently, safely and sustainably. The aim is to match you to the option most likely to be approved.

Cognitive assessment, stroke and neurological therapy, autism support

Also available locally: cognitive assessment, stroke and neurological therapies, and occupational therapy for autistic people, which is assessed and planned around the individual's own goals rather than a standard program.

Which budget pays for what

For NDIS participants, occupational therapy is not funded from a single line.

The practical consequence: an assessment can be funded and the equipment it recommends still needs separate approval under Capital Supports. Plan for both. Link your needs clearly to daily living activities and functional outcomes, because that is what gets a support approved as reasonable and necessary.

What your own plan holds depends on your plan. Check it, or ask your planner or support coordinator. Bloom will set out rates, expected hours, travel and reporting in a service agreement before work starts.

If you are not on the NDIS

Occupational therapy is not only an NDIS service. If you are 65 or over, in-home allied health including occupational therapy is delivered through aged care programs: Home Care Packages, and Support at Home, the reformed aged care program that commenced on 1 November 2025 and replaced several earlier programs. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the aged care age threshold is from 50. If you are over 65 and also have a disability that would qualify you for the NDIS, either system may apply depending on your circumstances. Call and describe your situation rather than guessing.

How to book on the Sunshine Coast

• Call: 1300 771 465
• Email: hello@bloom-healthcare.com.au
• Online: Book an appointment or make a referral, or contact us
• Hours: Monday to Thursday 7:30am to 6:00pm, Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm, Saturday by appointment

Anyone can refer: you, a family member, a GP, a specialist, a support coordinator, a school or another provider. Send as much information as you can and a member of the team will contact you within 24 hours. If you are referring as a nominee or guardian for someone with a disability, be clear about your role and responsibilities to that person.

Have ready: your suburb or postcode and where you want the visit held, NDIS number and how the plan is managed, plan dates, the funding category, age and relevant medical history, existing clinical reports, the main functional problems, your top three goals, current supports and what is not working, and key contacts and consent details.

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• Photograph: a woman seated in a wheelchair outdoors, in front of tall grasses.
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The remaining images are decorative interface icons — the phone, envelope, clock and accessibility symbols beside the contact details, and the Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn icons — which repeat information already given in text and carry no additional meaning.

Common questions about occupational therapy on the Sunshine Coast

Do you have a clinic on the Sunshine Coast, or do you come to me?

The primary model is mobile. Clinicians travel to homes, schools, day programs and community settings across the region. Clinic appointments are available on a case-by-case basis, so ask if you would prefer one.

My suburb is not listed. Am I out of range?

Not necessarily. The named centres are hubs, and coverage extends around them. Call 1300 771 465 with your postcode. If in-person visits are not workable where you are, telehealth is offered for people who cannot access face-to-face support.

How long does a Functional Capacity Assessment take?

Typically between 1 and 4 hours of assessment time, plus report writing. Longer and more comprehensive assessments, particularly ones involving more than one discipline, take considerably more. Ask for the estimated hours for your assessment before it is booked so it can be funded properly.

What can I use the FCA report for?

Evidence for NDIS funding decisions, goal setting on a first plan, evidence of changed circumstances, plan reviews and reassessments, NDIS access requests, housing applications including SDA and SIL, and tribunal matters. It sets out your current functional capability, your support needs and specific recommendations.

Will the NDIS pay for a wheelchair or home modification just because the OT recommends it?

No. Equipment and home modifications sit under Capital Supports and need NDIA approval. The occupational therapist's job is to provide the evidence: why it is reasonable and necessary, how it improves function and participation, that it is safe and suitable, and that it will last. The decision is the NDIA's.

How long does a home modification assessment take?

Complex home modification assessments typically run in the order of 15 to 20 hours of clinician time and can cover several rooms. It is a substantial piece of work because the evidence has to stand up. Discuss the scope and hours before it starts.

Who should be at the assessment?

The person being assessed, and family members or carers wherever possible. Carers supply the information a single visit cannot capture: what a hard day looks like, what has already been tried, what has stopped working. That context is what makes the report accurate.

Do I need to tidy the house before a home visit?

No. The therapist assesses the environment as it is, which is the point. Extensive preparation of the space is not needed. Just be clear about which rooms and which tasks are causing problems.

Can an occupational therapist see my child at school?

Bloom delivers services in school and day program settings as well as at home. Sessions at school need the school's agreement, so mention it at intake and it can be arranged.

How much does it cost?

That depends on your funding, your location and the hours agreed. Rates, expected hours, travel and reporting are set out in a service agreement before work begins. Ask for it in writing and go through it with your plan manager or support coordinator. For figures for your situation, call 1300 771 465.

Is travel charged for a home visit?

Travel time may be billed for in-home and community sessions within the limits set by NDIS Pricing Arrangements, which cap what can be claimed. What that means for your budget belongs in your service agreement. Ask about it before you sign.

How quickly can I be seen?

Bloom's stated position is low to no wait times depending on location and service type, and a team member will contact you within 24 hours of your referral. Ask for the current wait for occupational therapy on the Sunshine Coast when you call, because it moves with demand.

What is the difference between occupational therapy and physiotherapy here?

Broadly, occupational therapy works on function in daily activities and on the environment and equipment around you, including home modifications, assistive technology and housing suitability. Physiotherapy works on movement, strength and mobility itself. Many people need both. If you do, ask about coordinated care at intake so the goals and reports line up instead of overlapping.