ADULT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSESSMENTS
Functional Capacity Assessments for Adults
Build a clear picture of everyday function, support needs and practical next steps.
A Functional Capacity Assessment, often called an FCA, looks at how a person manages everyday activities, where support is needed and what may improve safety, independence and participation.
Strive to Thrive Therapy provides mobile Functional Capacity Assessments for adults across Greater Brisbane, including Brisbane’s northside and southside, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands and Moreton Bay.
Each assessment is guided by the referral question and the person’s goals. We gather information from everyday life, bring the findings together and provide a clear, formal report with practical recommendations.
What is a Functional Capacity Assessment?
A Functional Capacity Assessment is a comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessment of how a person manages everyday life.
It looks beyond a diagnosis. The Occupational Therapist considers the person’s abilities, daily activities, routines, current supports, environment, goals and priorities together.
The aim is to build a practical and current picture of what the person can do, where assistance is needed and what may support safer or more manageable participation in everyday life.
Who we support
Adults aged 18 and over who need a current picture of their everyday function, support needs, strengths and barriers.
Where assessment happens
Assessment usually takes place at home or in the community so everyday activities and supports can be understood in context. Other settings may be used when relevant to the referral question.
How we help
We assess everyday function in context, bring together relevant information and provide a formal report with clear findings and practical recommendations.
When might a Functional Capacity Assessment help?
An FCA can help when a broad and current understanding of the person’s everyday function or support needs is required.
It is most useful when the report has a clear purpose and needs to bring information from several parts of everyday life together.
An assessment can be useful when:
- The person’s circumstances, health or support needs have changed.
- Current supports no longer reflect how the person manages everyday life.
- Current functional evidence is needed for a plan reassessment or another support decision.
- There are concerns about safety, independence or participation at home or in the community.
- The person, family or support team needs a clearer picture of strengths, barriers and daily support needs.
- A broad assessment is needed to guide next steps across support, therapy, equipment or the home environment.
Start with everyday life, not the diagnosis
People with the same diagnosis can experience everyday life in very different ways.
An FCA focuses on how the person actually manages the activities, environments and support needs that are relevant to them.
What the person needs or wants to do
We begin with the activities, roles and goals that matter to the person, such as personal care, household tasks, community access, relationships, work or study.
How activities are managed now
The Occupational Therapist looks at what the person can do, which parts are difficult and where prompts, supervision, physical assistance or other support are currently needed.
What affects everyday function
Movement, pain, fatigue, thinking, communication, sensory needs, routines and the environment can all influence how an activity is completed.
What support is already helping
Current equipment, strategies, formal supports, family assistance and environmental features are considered alongside areas where needs remain unmet.
Areas the assessment may consider
The assessment is shaped around the person and the reason for referral. Not every FCA needs to examine every area below.
Personal care and daily routines
This may include showering, dressing, toileting, eating, medication routines, sleep and preparing for the day.
Household activities
The assessment may consider meal preparation, shopping, cleaning, laundry, home organisation and other domestic tasks.
Mobility, transfers and safety
This can include moving around the home or community, transfers, balance, fatigue, pain, falls risk and safety during everyday activities.
Thinking, communication and sensory needs
Where relevant, the Occupational Therapist may consider planning, memory, attention, communication, emotional regulation and sensory needs.
Community access and participation
This may include attending appointments, using transport, social participation, relationships, work, study and other valued roles.
Supports, equipment and environment
The assessment may look at formal and informal supports, equipment and strategies already in use, and features of the home or community environment.
What does the assessment process look like?
Step 1: Start with the referral question
Tell us what needs to be understood, what has changed and what decision or support the assessment needs to inform.
Step 2: Review available information
We review the referral and useful background information, such as current supports, previous reports, funding information and relevant health or service history.
Step 3: Assess everyday function
The Occupational Therapist meets with the person in a relevant environment and uses discussion, observation and relevant assessment tools to understand everyday function.
Step 4: Gather relevant perspectives
With the person’s consent, information may also be gathered from family members, support workers, support coordinators or other professionals.
Step 5: Analyse, recommend and report
The Occupational Therapist brings the information together, explains the findings and prepares the formal FCA report with practical recommendations.
Clear findings and practical recommendations
We agree on the purpose and scope of the report before the assessment begins.
A formal FCA report can include
- The reason for referral and the person’s goals.
- A practical description of how the person currently manages everyday activities.
- Relevant strengths, barriers, risks and support needs.
- The formal and informal supports already in place.
- Assessment observations, supporting information and relevant measures.
- Recommendations linked to the person’s function, goals and environment.
- Clear reasoning that explains why each recommendation is relevant.
A report designed to answer the referral question
A useful FCA report does more than list difficulties. It explains how the person’s abilities, environment and supports affect everyday life, then connects the findings to practical recommendations.
The findings are written so the person, family, support team and decision-makers can understand the reasoning and the next steps.
An FCA can provide functional evidence and recommendations. The NDIA or another funder makes the final funding decision.
Is a Functional Capacity Assessment the right pathway?
Functional Capacity Assessment
An FCA may be more useful when a broad and current picture of everyday function, support needs and participation is required.
Assistive Technology Assessment
This may be more suitable when the main question is whether equipment or technology could help with an activity, mobility need or safety concern.
Home Modification Assessment
This may be the right pathway when the physical home is the main barrier to access, transfers or an everyday activity.
Capacity Building Occupational Therapy
This may be the right pathway when the person wants ongoing support to practise skills, build routines, develop strategies or work towards a practical everyday goal.
Related FCA resources
Understanding Functional Capacity Assessments
A plain-English guide to what an FCA is, what the Occupational Therapist may look at and how to prepare.
What makes an FCA high-quality?
Guidance for support coordinators about useful functional evidence, clear reasoning and practical recommendations.
How to write an Occupational Therapy referral
See what information can help the team understand the person’s goals, current difficulties and the support being requested.
Frequently asked questions
Who can be referred, and who can make a referral?
Strive to Thrive Therapy supports adults aged 18 and over across Greater Brisbane, including Brisbane’s northside and southside, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands and Moreton Bay.
A referral can be made by the person, a family member, support coordinator, health professional or another person involved in their care.
Does the assessment happen at home?
Assessment usually takes place at home because this allows the Occupational Therapist to understand the person’s function in their everyday environment.
A community, work or other setting may also be considered when it is relevant to the referral question.
What happens during a Functional Capacity Assessment?
The Occupational Therapist discusses the person’s goals, routines, current supports and the areas of everyday life that are relevant to the referral.
The assessment may also include observation of everyday activities, review of the environment, selected assessment tools and information from relevant supporters with the person’s consent.
What information is helpful before the assessment?
Helpful information can include the reason for referral, the person’s goals, current supports, relevant funding details and recent reports.
If not everything is available, send what you have. We can identify whether further information is needed during the referral review.
Will the person receive a written report?
Yes. A formal written report is part of the Functional Capacity Assessment service. Its purpose and agreed scope are confirmed before the assessment begins.
Can family members, support workers or support coordinators be involved?
Yes, with the person’s consent.
Input from relevant supporters can help the Occupational Therapist understand everyday routines, current supports and changes over time. The level of involvement depends on the person’s preferences and the purpose of the assessment.
Can Strive complete an FCA for an NDIS participant?
Yes. Strive supports self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants.
Strive is not currently an NDIS registered provider, so an NDIA-managed participant should contact the team before making a referral.
Does an FCA guarantee NDIS funding?
No. An FCA can provide functional evidence and recommendations, but the NDIA or another relevant funder makes the funding decision.
Strive cannot guarantee that a particular recommendation will be funded or approved.
Is a Functional Capacity Assessment a test?
No. There is no single pass-or-fail test. The Occupational Therapist brings together discussion, observation, relevant assessment tools, available reports and information from supporters where appropriate and with consent.
How long does a Functional Capacity Assessment take?
The number of appointments and report timeframe depend on the referral question, the complexity of the assessment, the information available and who needs to be involved. We clarify the expected process and timeframe after reviewing the referral.
Start with what needs to be understood
You do not need to know exactly how the assessment should be scoped.
Tell us what has changed, which parts of everyday life need to be understood and what decision or support the report needs to inform. Let us know about any important timeframes.
We can review the information and help identify the most useful next step.