Is Assistive Technology Better Than Home Mods?

And What is the New AT “Carer-Burden”

When AT Is Better Than Home Mods (Real Case Comparisons)

Over the last 12 months as the Aussie AT-HM transition was approaching, we saw a growing pattern:

Assistive Technology often delivers better outcomes than home modifications — certainly faster, safer, and at a fraction of the cost.

CASE COMPARISON: Small Bathroom + 2 Carers Assisting

CASE COMPARISON: High Falls Risk + Rental Property

• Home Mod option: Not permitted by landlord OR requires reinstatement at end of tenancy.
• AT option: Shower chair + transfer bench or sliding system — no structural changes.
• Outcome: AT is the only viable path and reduces transfer risk by more than 80%.

 

CASE COMPARISON: Urgent Hospital Discharge

• Home Mod option: Not possible in required timeframe, client has a single bathroom older inner-city villa with a shower over the bathtub.
• AT option: Mobile, sliding transfer shower chair, to slide client over the bathtub to shower, bedside commode option also utilised.
• Outcome: Same-day discharge supported; OT delivers measurable risk reduction within hours.

 

Bottom line: In most real-world bathroom scenarios, AT solves the problem faster than a home modification, with less risk, less cost, and much clearer justification.

New AT “Carer-Burden” Requirements

How to Show It Clearly

Under the new framework, planners are increasingly prioritising carer burden as a funding trigger — but they require it to be shown clearly, objectively, and with measurable impact.

What OTs now need to demonstrate

✏️ Carer load before AT (e.g., lifting forces, unsafe reach, twisting, step-over shower lip, 2 carers needed)

✏️ Carer load after AT (e.g., reduced or no lifting, straight-line transfer, height-adjusted seating)

✏️ Quantified difference (e.g., “Carer strain reduced from moderate–high to minimal.”)

✏️ Impact on sustainability of care (e.g., preventing carer injury, reducing fatigue, enabling ongoing support, carer participation reduced from 2 to 1)

Best way to document it

• Use before/after transfer diagrams (simple sketches are enough)
• Record distance, angles, task duration, and forces
• Link strain reduction to maintaining informal care

 

🚫 Avoid vague wording like “easier,” “more comfortable,” “better access” — these no longer satisfy reviewers

Consider wording and descriptions:

AT that scores highly on carer-burden reduction

• Showerbuddy SB1/SB2/SB2T sliding transfer systems
• Tilt-in-space for hygiene tasks (SB2T and Roll-in SB3T)

 

Tip: The clearer the carer-burden reduction, potentially the faster the approval — especially when multiple informal carers are involved.

The “Immediate Safety” Rule

(Why It’s Becoming the #1 Funding Trigger)

Under the Australian Support-at-Home and AT-HM funding, assessors are prioritising Immediate Safety above nearly everything else.

What it means

Any imminent risk of:

• Falls
• Unsafe transfers
• Carer injury
• Unstable seating
• Wet-area hazards
• Inability to access toilet/shower safely

 

These may now be considered a fast-track justification for AT.

How to use this rule effectively

1. State the immediate risk clearly: “Client risks a  fall when stepping over 80mm shower hob due to poor clearance and weak quads.”
2. Link the risk directly to the recommended AT: “SB1 Showerbuddy sliding transfer system removes the step-over entirely and creates a level seated transfer for over the toilet and safe shower access.”
3. Show the consequence of inaction: “Without immediate intervention, the client faces high likelihood of injury and inability to remain safely at home.”
4. Document why other options don’t meet immediacy needs: Home mods are too slow Carer not available at all times Rental property Risk occurring daily

 

This is quickly becoming the most decisive factor in approvals.

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Bonus Section

AT for Clients with Cognitive Impairment

What Works (and What Doesn’t)

Bathroom tasks create unique challenges for clients with cognitive impairment — particularly sequencing, orientation, and unsafe standing.

Here’s what consistently works:

What works well

✔️ Stable, consistent seating positions (Shower chairs with defined boundaries reduce wandering and unsafe stepping)

✔️ Clear transfer pathways SB1/SB2/SB2T systems from Showerbuddy, RAZ Trakz sliders and NuProdx sliders all eliminate complex steps, improving compliance.

✔️ Tilt-in-space for clients who lean or fatigue Improves tolerance and reduces agitation.

✔️ Non-slip, non-complex environments The fewer visual “changes,” the calmer the client.

What doesn’t work

✖️ Too many adjustment points Clients may fiddle, undo straps, or stand unexpectedly.

✖️ Open walk-in showers with no seating plan Leads to wandering, mis-stepping, impulsive standing.

✖️ Equipment that looks “clinical” Can increase anxiety; avoid metal or chrome, polished looks with hard features and clinical overtones, look for softer colours and a simple design, this may be accepted easier and create less resistance and stress.

✖️ Unfamiliar transfer tasks If the method is new or not reinforced by caregivers, compliance drops.

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In Summary

The landscape is shifting: AT is being favoured over home mods due to speed, safety, cost, and defensibility.

OTs who show clear carer-burden reduction and immediate safety benefits are getting faster approvals and better outcomes.

For clients with cognitive impairment, the right AT can dramatically improve safety and reduce behavioural/transfer risks — but equipment selection must remain simple, stable, and predictable.

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Coming Up Next in Access Insights

In the next issue, I’ll cover:

• AT versus Support Hours
• Sustainability of Informal Care
• When Standing Transfers Should Be Replaced with Seated Transfers
• Bathroom Design Mistakes OTs Keep Encountering

 

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Thank you for reading Access Insights.

My goal is to support therapists and to help clients stay safe at home — without the delays and confusion the system often creates. In researching this article and developing some images I also use AI.

Thank you for supporting Showerbuddy, the whole team is there to help you.

Barry Redican CEO — Showerbuddy

Contact us for any assistance or to arrange OT Training … admin@shower-buddy.com

Safe access. Smart design. Real independence.

#NDIS #SupportAtHome #OccupationalTherapist #Showerbuddy #AssistiveTechnology #AgedCare #BathroomSafety