Customised Mobility Equipment

Eligible clients for the Customised Mobility Stream are people who:

• live in Metropolitan Adelaide (Equipment Supply Suburb Listing for Metropolitan Adelaide (DOCX 172.0 KB)),
• are over 65 years (or over 50 years and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander), and
• have a need for a specialised wheelchair or mobile shower chair and are unable to access funding through an alternative source, such as My Aged Care.

Regional clients over the age of 65 years (or over 50 years and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) should contact Country Health Connect on 1800 944 912 to discuss their equipment needs.

To confirm your eligibility please contact the Equipment Program on 1300 130 302 or DHSEquipmentProgram@sa.gov.au.

If you are eligible for a specialised wheelchair or mobile shower chair, you will require an approved prescriber to assist you with an assessment and prescription.

Approved prescribers can be funded through:

• My Aged Care - Commonwealth Home Support Program or Home Care Package,
• SA Health,
• a Medicare Chronic Disease Management Plan through a GP, or
• a private therapist (health insurance or self-funded).

Please contact the DHS Equipment Program and speak with one of our Clinicians prior to completing assessment for a customised mobility item. This will ensure that any questions regarding eligibility have been identified and resolved and all necessary paperwork has been identified to assist you with your assessment and prescription.

Key Approval Criteria

To be eligible for customised mobility equipment through the Equipment Program, clients must meet the key approval criteria for equipment.

Item-specific Eligibility Criteria

Customised wheelchairs have specific criteria associated that must be met in addition to the key approval criteria. To review specific eligibility criteria for a customised wheelchair or mobile shower chair refer to the Equipment Program - Equipment Program Eligibility Documents.

Assessment

An Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist with appropriate clinical skills and experience in the prescription of customised wheelchairs or mobile shower chairs can complete assessments and submit documentation directly to the Equipment Program.

A number of information documents have been developed to support allied health professionals to assess equipment to suit individual needs.

These can be found at Equipment Program - Prescribing Equipment - by Equipment Type.

Submitting a request for Equipment

All Category 2 requests must be submitted with:

• Equipment Request Form (DOCX 149.3 KB)
• Delegate Approval Request Form (DOCX 172.7 KB)
• Risk Rating and Priority Scoring Form (DOCX 126.3 KB)
• All required documents outlined in the EP Equipment In-scope List (XLSX 139.8 KB)

Prescribers can use the following checklist to assist with their submission to the Equipment Program:

• Checklist For Prescribers Submitting Equipment Requests (DOCX 165.7 KB)

Delegate Approval

The equipment request will be reviewed by an Equipment Program Clinical Delegate. The approved prescriber will receive correspondence from the Equipment Program regarding the outcome of the delegate review process.

Once an equipment item has been approved by the Equipment Program delegate, an Equipment Selection Agreement form   (DOCX 92.6 KB) will be provided for completion by the client and referring therapist.

Follow up

A follow up after equipment is provided is mandatory to make sure that the item issued to a person meets their needs and can be used appropriately and safely. In follow up person is recommended where there is identified complexity with items.

Review

Reviews are encouraged after a person has had their equipment for a period of time. It helps to identify any problems with the equipment or how it is being used by the person, or if the item needs replacement or modification. Problems may result from changes in the person’s condition, their ability to use the item, a change in the living situation, or deterioration of the item.

Prescribers are encouraged to undertake reviews and identify any risks before an incident occurs. The DHS Equipment Program has recommendations on how often a clinical review should occur for clients provided with a powered mobility device.

Prescribers can refer to:

• Indicators for Medical Clearance of Powered Mobility Devices (DOC 136.0 KB)
• Medical Information Form (DOC 197.0 KB)
• How Often Do a Client's Powered Mobility Aid Skills Need Review? (DOC 141.0 KB)
• Powered Mobility Frequency of Clinical Review Indicators (DOC 141.0 KB)