The Independent OT

20/08/2026

You’ve bought Mum the shower stool. Dad’s got a walking stick. You’ve had the grab rail fitted…

But you’re still watching them struggle.

And you’re starting to wonder, “What else can I do?”

💗 This is where Occupational Therapy can help.

Sometimes equipment is exactly what’s needed. But sometimes there’s more going on.

I look at the whole picture to understand why everyday things are becoming harder.

It could be strength or balance.
It could be how they’re approaching the task.
It could be confidence after a fall or near miss.
It could be the chair, the bathroom or another part of the home.
Or the equipment they already have might just need reviewing.

The answer isn’t always more equipment.

It’s about finding the right combination of practical changes, strategies, rehabilitation and support to help your loved one keep doing as much as they can for themselves.

Because ultimately, you don’t just want Mum or Dad to be safe.

You want them to stay confident, independent and doing the things that matter to them. 💗

🏠 Private Occupational Therapy assessments at home
📅 Appointments available within 2 weeks
📍 Fylde Coast & surrounding areas
📞 07814 495400
No referral needed.

17/08/2026

Struggling to get out of the chair? 🪑

It’s tempting to think the answer is simply a chair raiser or a new chair.

But not always.

As an Occupational Therapist, I’d want to understand why it’s becoming difficult first.

I might look at:

✨ The height and depth of the chair
✨ How they’re actually getting up
✨ Strength and balance
✨ Mobility
✨ Pain or stiffness
✨ Confidence and fear of falling
✨ Whether equipment or adaptations would help

Sometimes equipment is the answer.

Sometimes it might be strengthening, practising a different technique, changing the environment or working on confidence.

And sometimes it’s a combination.

That’s why I assess the person, the activity and their environment before recommending what might help.

The goal? Not just getting out of the chair.

💗 Keeping you doing as much as possible, safely and independently.

📍 Fylde Coast & surrounding areas
📞 07814 495400
🏠 Home-based Occupational Therapy
📅 Appointments available within 2 weeks

15/08/2026

❤️ YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER A FALL.

One of the biggest misconceptions about falls prevention is that you need to have fallen before it’s time to do something.

You don’t.

Often, the signs start much earlier.

Maybe you’ve noticed you’re holding onto the furniture as you walk around the house.

You’re taking the stairs more slowly, using the rail more or avoiding them altogether.

Getting out of your favourite chair takes a little more effort.

Showering doesn’t feel quite as safe as it used to.

You’ve started wondering whether a walking stick might help.

Or perhaps, without really noticing, your world has started getting a little smaller.

You’re walking less.

Going out less.

Avoiding certain activities.

Saying “no” to things you would once have done without thinking.

And sometimes it’s a relative who notices these changes first.

These things don’t automatically mean that a fall is going to happen.

But they are worth paying attention to.

As an Occupational Therapist and Falls Specialist, I can look at what’s changing and help work out what might make things safer, easier and more manageable.

That could mean looking at mobility and balance, your home environment, everyday activities, confidence, walking aids, equipment or simple changes to the way you’re doing something.

And the earlier we recognise that something is becoming difficult, the more opportunity we have to do something about it.

❤️ You don’t have to wait for a crisis.

Small changes now can make a big difference to helping you stay safe, confident and independent.

If you recognise yourself or someone you care about in this post, you’re welcome to give me a call for a free, no-obligation chat.

📞 07814 495400
📍 Fylde Coast and surrounding areas

Rachelle x
HCPC Registered Occupational Therapist
Falls Specialist

15/08/2026

❤️ HOW I CAN HELP

You don’t need to have had a fall to benefit from Occupational Therapy.

Sometimes the first signs are much smaller.

You might be feeling less steady on your feet.

Holding onto furniture as you move around the house.

Finding the stairs, shower or getting out of a chair more difficult.

Wondering whether a walking stick or frame would help.

Doing less because you’re worried about falling.

Or perhaps you’ve come home from hospital and things just don’t feel as easy as they did before.

That’s where I can help.

As an Occupational Therapist and Falls Specialist, I look at the whole picture, not just whether you’ve fallen.

🏠 Home Safety Assessments
Looking at how you’re managing around your home and identifying practical ways to make everyday activities safer and easier.

🦯 Walking Aid Assessments
Helping you find the right walking aid, at the right height, and making sure you feel confident using it.

❤️ Falls & Balance Assessments
Exploring what may be contributing to falls, wobbles or near misses and what we can do to reduce your risk.

🪑 Equipment & Minor Adaptations
Recommending practical equipment or changes where they genuinely make life easier and support your independence.

🌿 Everyday Life & Independence
Looking at the activities that matter to you and finding ways to help you keep doing them, whether that’s showering independently, making a meal, getting upstairs, going out or rebuilding confidence after a hospital stay.

And sometimes equipment isn’t the answer at all.

It might be changing how you do something, building an activity back up gradually, improving confidence or finding a completely different solution.

That’s Occupational Therapy. ❤️

It’s not just about preventing falls.
It’s about keeping you doing what matters most.

📍 Supporting people across the Fylde Coast, Blackpool, Lytham St Annes and surrounding areas
📞 Free telephone consultation: 07814 495400

Send me a message or give me a call if you’d like to talk about how I could help.

Rachelle x
HCPC Registered Occupational Therapist
Falls Specialist

15/08/2026

👋 Hi, I’m Rachelle!

I’m the Occupational Therapist behind The Independent OT.

I qualified as an OT in 2012, and over the years I’ve worked across different areas of Occupational Therapy, including mental health, community services and specialist falls prevention.

But the thing I’ve always loved most about OT is that we don’t just look at a diagnosis or a problem.

We look at the person. ❤️

What matters to you?
What are you finding more difficult?
What have you quietly stopped doing?
And what could help you feel more confident and independent again?

Falls might be what brings someone to me, but my work is about so much more than preventing a fall.

It might be helping you feel confident enough to shower again.

Finding a safer way for you to get upstairs.

Helping you get back out for a walk.

Finding the right walking aid or equipment.

Or simply helping you keep doing something that’s really important to you.

That’s why I created The Independent OT.

To offer practical, person-centred Occupational Therapy that helps people stay safe, confident and independent at home, especially when falls, mobility or everyday activities are becoming more difficult.

Because ultimately, it’s not just about preventing falls.

❤️ It’s about keeping you doing the things that matter most.

📍 Supporting people across the Fylde Coast, Blackpool, Lytham St Annes and surrounding areas
📞 Free telephone consultation: 07814 495400

Rachelle x
HCPC Registered Occupational Therapist
Falls Specialist

10/08/2026

Falls are just a natural part of getting older… aren’t they?

Actually, no. 💗

While our bodies can change as we age, falling is not something we should simply expect or accept.

And one of the things I hear far too often is:

“Well, I am getting older…”

after someone has started stumbling, losing their balance, holding onto furniture or having repeated falls.

But there can be lots of reasons why someone is falling or becoming less steady.

👉Changes in strength or balance.
👉Medication.
👉Vision.
👉Blood pressure.
👉Pain.
👉Footwear.
👉The home environment.
👉Changes in mobility.
👉Fear and reduced confidence.
👉How someone is managing everyday activities.

Often, it isn’t one thing… it’s several small things adding together.

And that’s why noticing changes early matters.

You don’t have to wait until someone has had a serious fall before asking:

“Why is this happening?”

As a Falls Specialist Occupational Therapist, I look at the whole person, their activities and their environment to identify what may be contributing and, most importantly, what we can actually do about it.

Because getting older might mean doing some things differently.

It shouldn’t automatically mean giving up your safety, confidence or independence. 💚

Falls are not an inevitable part of ageing. Prevention matters.

📞 Free telephone consultation
📱 07814 495400
The Independent OT | Falls Specialist Occupational Therapist

09/08/2026

What does a Falls Specialist OT actually assess? 👀

The answer is… a lot more than whether you can walk safely.

Because falls are rarely caused by just one thing.

I’m looking at the whole picture - you, your health, your mobility, your home, your daily activities, your confidence and, importantly, what you actually want to be able to do.

Maybe you haven’t fallen, but you’ve had a few near misses.

Maybe you’re holding onto furniture around the house.

Maybe you’ve stopped using the shower because you don’t feel safe.

Or perhaps you’re technically still “managing”… but everyday things are becoming harder, slower or more tiring.

That’s where Occupational Therapy can help. 💗

As a Falls Specialist OT, I don’t just identify risks and leave you with a list of problems.

I look for practical solutions, which might include equipment, walking aids, small adaptations, changing how an activity is done, graded activity to rebuild confidence, falls-prevention strategies, advice for family, or referrals to other services where needed.

Because the goal isn’t simply “don’t fall.”

It’s helping you stay safe, confident and independent — and keep doing the things that matter to you. 💚

📞 I offer a FREE telephone consultation if you’re concerned about yourself or someone you care about.

Send me a DM or call 07814 495400.

The Independent OT | Falls Specialist Occupational Therapist

08/08/2026

Hi, I’m Rachelle 👋 Occupational Therapist & Falls Specialist.

But my work is about so much more than preventing falls.

I help people to:

🏡 Feel safer at home
🚶 Move around with more confidence
🦯 Find the right walking aid
🛁 Make their home work better for them
👕 Manage everyday activities more independently
💪 Rebuild confidence after illness or hospital stays
🧠 Support wellbeing and overcome barriers
❤️ Keep doing the things that matter most

Because sometimes the first sign that someone needs support isn’t a fall.

It’s that they’ve stopped going upstairs.

Stopped getting in the shower.

Stopped going into the garden.

Stopped seeing friends.

Or quietly started relying on someone else for things they used to do themselves.

That’s where my OT lens comes in. 🔎

I look at the whole person and find practical, individual solutions that help them stay safe, confident and independent.

Because growing older shouldn’t automatically mean giving up the life you enjoy. ❤️

📞 Free telephone consultation: 07814 495400

01/02/2022

Let The Independent OT help you or your loved ones today 💚

20/12/2021