Community Physiotherapy Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
To qualify for Community Physiotherapy, a person must require active physical rehabilitation that cannot be managed by general advice or a basic home exercise sheet.
Aged: Over 18 years of age
Registered: With a Plymouth GP
Identified Goal: Possesses a clear, realistic physical target, such as improving balance, increasing walking distance, or regaining independence after a fall.
Mobility Deficit: Exhibits a recent, measurable decline in mobility, transfers, or physical strength due to illness, surgery, or progressive frailty.
Housebound Status: Requires home-based interventions because they are physically or medically unable to travel to an outpatient clinic or assessment within home environment is deemed clinically necessary.
Safe Environment: Has a home environment that allows a physiotherapist to safely conduct assessments and interventions.
Engagement Potential: Demonstrates the ability to understand, remember, and carry out treatment programmes (or has a caregiver trained to assist them). This includes individuals with a LD diagnosis*
*Please do contact the LD team if another member of the LD team could jointly or better meet the individual’s needs.
Exclusions/Redirection from Community Physiotherapy
People are excluded or redirected from community physiotherapy if:
Outpatient Suitability: Can leave the house independently or via standard transport, and meet the criteria outpatient musculoskeletal (MSK) clinic or CTT clinic.
Acute Medical Instability: Suffers from unmanaged medical issues, such as severe shortness of breath at rest, DVT.
Is at risk of hospital admission within the next 24 hours: Individuals requiring an Urgent Community Response (i.e. CCRT).
Maintenance Only: Requires ongoing long-term, ongoing passive stretching or maintenance therapy without any scope for functional improvement or self-management.
Social Care Dependency: Needs assistance purely for moving and handling or social care (e.g., getting out of bed, washing), rather than active physical rehabilitation.
Severe Behavioural Barriers: Displays aggressive or highly unpredictable behaviour that compromises the physical safety of the visiting therapist. Eg, dependency on alcohol or drugs.
Neurological Condition: Is diagnosed with a neurological condition which meets the criteria for the Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Team.
Functional Neurological Disease: Individual’s who require input directly related to their FND diagnosis.
Respiratory Conditions: Where someone meets the criteria for the Community Respiratory Team.
Falls: Where someone meets the criteria for the Falls Prevention Therapy Team or FaME programme.
Community Occupational Therapy Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
To qualify for the integrated Community Occupational Therapy Team, a person must:
Aged: Over 18 years of age
Registered: With a Plymouth GP
Identified rehabilitation goal: Possesses a clear, realistic target, such regaining independence after a fall.
Compensatory strategies: Functional enablement and/ or active rehabilitation to reduce reliance on ongoing care.
Safe Environment: Has a home environment that allows an Occupational Therapist to safely conduct assessments and interventions.
Long‑term independence, safety and wellbeing: Through Care Act assessments and reviews.
Minor adaptations and equipment: Where the primary purpose is prevention, safety and sustained independence.
Sustain Caring Roles: Supporting carers through manual handling solutions, risk enablement and environmental adaptations to prevent escalation or higher cost care.
Housing suitability and rehousing needs: Providing advice where expertise will prevent deterioration linked to environmental barriers.
Exclusions/Redirection from Community Occupational Therapy:
Mental Health Need: People whose need is primarily related to a mental health condition.
Wheel Chair Referrals: Including assessment of safety around the home or environment with the wheelchair. All referrals to go directly to AJM.
Purely Social or Financial Need: Seeks help solely for rehousing, financial grants, or general home maintenance that does not require a clinical assessment of function e.g. Devon Home Choice Applications, PIP, Blue Badge, Charitable Funds.
FND: Occupational therapy for those with an FND diagnosis where the request is specifically to treat the symptoms of FND.
Minor and major adaptation requests: Where a strengths base approach would meet an individual’s needs.
Pressure Relieving Equipment: Where the request is in isolation or to be ordered on behalf of another service which has identified the need. E.g. Mattresses and lateral turning devices. Please note – this does not exclude joint assessment visits.
Is at risk of hospital admission within the next 24 hours: Individuals requiring an Urgent Community Response or Duty OT intervention (i.e. CCRT).
Severe Behavioural Barriers: Displays aggressive or highly unpredictable behaviour that compromises the physical safety of the visiting therapist. E.g. dependency on alcohol or drugs.
Neurological Condition: Is diagnosed with a neurological condition supported by the Community Neuro-rehabilitation Team.
Requests from housing associations/landlords: To provide assessments to support repositioning of fixtures and fittings in the home, e.g. appliances, sockets and light switches or refurbishment programmes of properties where there is no functional need.