Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Officers

Goto Navigation
Early Intervention Officers
Rehabilitation Worker

Early Intervention Officers

The Association for the Blind has an innovative service - a team of staff known as Early Intervention Officers - who facilitate the early assessment of people with a visual impairment. In addition, the team also enables specialist workers (Rehabilitation workers) to concentrate on skilled work such as mobility/daily living training, rather than their time being taken up with the varied administration tasks that a newly-registered visually impaired person may require. The rationale behind this is to cut waiting lists and to enable clients to forge an assessable link between the voluntary and statutory sectors.

This service is currently provided in the boroughs of Harrow and Hounslow.

The role of the Early Intervention Officer is to ensure that newly-registered clients are visited promptly and assessed for their visual impairment needs, prior to referral for rehabilitation or other statutory services departments.

The aim of the assessment is to ascertain the client's needs, provide information and to ensure that the client is aware of all benefits, facilities and services that may be available.

The assessment covers aspects such as: -

• Mobility
• Shopping
• Food preparation
• Cooking
• Hot Drinks
• Communication
• Personal Care
• Leisure

In addition to the above, the range of services available are discussed and any appropriate paper work or referral to other statutory or voluntary organisations is completed by the Early Intervention Officer.

Case Study - Early Intervention Officer

Background

Mrs D 74-year-old living alone in sheltered accommodation with family support. Registered blind due to Diabetic Retinopathy.

• Certificate of Vision Impairment received by Social Services on 7th January.
• Initial contact made via 'phone on 10th January.
• Early Intervention Officer assessed client on 16th January.

Client has diabetes and arthritis. She is very independent but does burn herself occasionally whilst cooking. She travels outside alone but does feel very scared due to her eyesight. Has also fallen in bathroom (on viewing bathroom there were no handrails).

Action

• Demonstrated and issued white symbol cane and discussed its uses and the way it should be held.
• Gave family member forms for a European Parking Badge/Taxi Card/Dial A Ride.
• Discussed other services such as Talking Newspaper/British Wireless Fund for The Blind / BT Free Directory Services / Blind Club / Computer Training.
• Filled in appropriate paper work for referral to Citizens' Advice Bureau with regard to Attendance Allowance.

Recommendations

Early Intervention Officer to make referral to Rehabilitation Worker for assistance in the kitchen and mobility (Activities for Daily Living, Additional Lighting). To also discuss possible referral to OT's regarding the bathroom.

Outcome

• Citizens'Advice Bureau contacted client and an appointment was made with regard to Attendance Allowance.
• A visit from a Rehabilitation Worker to carry out lighting assessment and to work with client on Activities for Daily Living skills in the kitchen and to discuss mobility needs.
• An assessment regarding safety in the bathroom.
• An "open invitation" to contact Early Intervention Officer for any other information or if any more input or information is required.
• Client aware of the support available from the Middlesex Association for the Blind.

Rehabilitation Worker

What does a Rehabilitation Worker do?

Rehabilitation Workers are specialists in the practical aspects of visual impairment. They are qualified to offer professional assessments of individual need and to provide or co-ordinate specific services as part of an agreed programme of Care Management. Rather like Occupational Therapists, they often visit clients in their own homes and develop individual programmes based on an agreed assessment of their needs.

Examples of some of the skills rehabilitation workers can offer their clients:-

• Mobility training
• Demonstrate a range of special equipment
• Advise about the right type of white cane
• Instruct in safe cooking methods
• Help decide if a guide dog would be suitable
• Mark cookers and other appliances to make them useable by those with little or no sight
• Give advice about the use of magnifiers and low vision aids
• Explain the value of good task lighting
• Provide support and advice to parents of visually impaired children
• Advise about design and modifications to specific environments to make them more accessible to those with visual impairment

The role of rehabilitation workers for visually impaired people

Rehabilitation workers for visually impaired people are often employed by the local authority social services / social work department. Some work for voluntary societies for blind and partially sighted people. The MAB currently employs two full-time Rehabilitation Officers, Alexis Patterson in Harrow and Sandra Powell in Richmond.

Much of their work is with newly blind people, the majority of whom are elderly. The work undertaken by rehabilitation workers varies from one local authority to another. In general their role is to provide specialist assessment, training and advice to all types of visually impaired people. The role and training of rehabilitation workers is evolving and is currently a DipHE qualification.

Initial assessment and registration as blind or partially sighted.

In some areas this is carried out by social workers, in others this forms part of the rehabilitation officer's role

A visit will usually be carried out to establish the most pressing needs and discuss whether he/she wants to be registered as blind or partially sighted, if an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) has completed the form Certificate of Vision Impairment to indicate that sight loss is considered sufficiently serious to qualify.

People do not need to be registered blind or partially sighted to receive help from specialist workers for visually impaired people.

Listening

Many people experience feelings of loss caused directly or indirectly by a visual impairment. Some rehabilitation workers will be able to offer informal counselling, whilst others will refer clients to social workers, voluntary societies, self-help groups or counselling services.

Providing information on the benefits and concessions available to blind and partially sighted people e.g., local low vision services, DSS benefits and charities such as Wireless for the Blind, Telephones for the Blind etc. They can also put people in contact with other services and networks for visually impaired people.

Specialist assessment

Specialist assessment involves working with the client to establish what can be done to overcome practical and environmental difficulties. This can include establishing how someone uses his/her vision and making recommendations to help the individual use his/her sight more effectively.

Advising on environmental issues - they can offer advice on adapting a person's environment by improved lighting, colour contrasts and various 'low vision techniques' (which often cost nothing at all). They can suggest tactile clues to help people find their way around.

Teaching guiding skills

To teach 'sighted guide' techniques, to help staff and carers guide visually impaired people who can walk or who use a wheelchair.

Providing training

To provide a range of training for blind and partially sighted people:

• This could include hints and tips on moving about safely, with or without white canes(or red and white canes for deafblind people) and other mobility issues. (Guide dog training is provided by Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.)
• Daily living skills training - helping people learn or re-learn skills, such as cooking, cleaning, care of clothes etc.
• Communication training - Braille, Moon, deafblind manual, keyboard skills, use of cassette recorders, telephone etc.

Some rehabilitation workers teach staff working with adults with learning difficulties how to work with a particular person.

Recommending equipment and teaching people to use it

The rehabilitation worker is also able to recommend and demonstrate daily living equipment to enable visually impaired people become more independent - such as clocks, watches, liquid level indicators, raised markings for appliances and other household gadgets.

MAB Home Page