What is a Functional Capacity Assessment?
A Functional Capacity Assessment (or a FCA) is a comprehensive evaluation of a person’s ability to complete daily tasks and activities. The end result is a report of what an individual can do by themselves, what they can do with help (from another person or equipment) and what they may be able to do or achieve in the future with some support.
Click here to book a FCA online now – https://calendar.app.google/YrKvFGjQSYPCDCV1A
Why are they important?
A FCA provides information to the decision makers at the NDIS (ie. the NDIS planner, delegate or the ‘LAC’; the Local Area Coordinator) about how easy or difficult it is for an individual to do things like moving around their home, communicating or having a shower. This sort of information can’t be obtained simply from a diagnosis and requires a comprehensive analysis of the individual. This analysis or assessment is typically completed by an occupational therapist, to describe what supports are needed in order for the individual to live safely, with dignity and to achieve their goals.
What is in a FCA?
A FCA will outline a person’s functional capacity in six domains, which are:
- Mobility (Walking, transfers, fine motor, etc.)
- Communication (Expressive, receptive and social)
- Social Interaction (Accessing the community, building friendships, etc.)
- Learning (Attention, memory, decision making etc.)
- Self-care (Showering, toileting, grooming, etc.)
- Self-management (Behaviour, planning, money management, domestic tasks etc.)
The information included in a FCA is used as evidence to illustrate the support needs of an individual. For example, an autistic NDIS participant may be completely independent in the domain of mobility (meaning it isn’t difficult for them to move around their home or the community) but they may have difficulty in the domain of social interaction, where they may benefit from increased support from a support worker or an allied health professional to make it easier to meet new people or secure a new job.
A FCA isn’t a short report; often times exceeding 20+ pages to illustrate an accurate picture of the NDIS participant’s current capacity, their goals and what supports are required to achieve them
What’s the process?
An occupational therapist will meet the NDIS participant over several hours, typically in a variety of settings, such as at home, at school or work and in the community. Following assessment and observation, a report will then be written which describes the individual’s ‘functional capacity’. This process can take between 10 and 15 hours to complete and once finalized, the FCA report will effectively illustrate what the individual can do by themselves and what they need support for. This report is often essential in seeking appropriate funding from the NDIS in order for the participant to live safely, with dignity and to do the things they want to do.
Click here to book a FCA online now – https://calendar.app.google/YrKvFGjQSYPCDCV1A
Co-Capable Occupational Therapy 