Stroke and neuro rehab
Practical therapy at home after a stroke, a brain injury or with a progressive neurological condition.
Stroke supportOccupational therapy in Sunderland
Home-based occupational therapy for Sunderland adults, children and older people, from rehabilitation after a hospital stay to making the bathroom or stairs in a terraced house safer. Visits are arranged from our Newcastle base.
- Home visits across Sunderland
- Support after hospital discharge
- Home adaptation reports
- Children's and adult OT
Request a quote
Tell us a little about what you need and we will be in touch to discuss the next steps.
What we offer
Private occupational therapy for Sunderland homes, schools and workplaces
Private Occupational Therapy provides rehabilitation after a hospital stay, home assessments and adaptation reports, falls prevention and children's occupational therapy for people across Sunderland.
An occupational therapist travels from Newcastle upon Tyne to see you at home, in school or at work, and some later sessions can take place by video. Every case follows the same order: an initial conversation, an assessment in the setting where the difficulty shows up, a written report with recommendations, and then therapy or follow-up only where it is needed.
What to expect
- A conversation about your goals first
- A written quote before any visit
- A clear report in plain English
- Recommendations you can act on
- Progress reviewed against your goals
- Liaison with your GP or school, with consent
Coming home from Sunderland Royal Hospital
Many people in the city are treated at Sunderland Royal Hospital, part of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, after a stroke, a fall, an operation or a sudden illness. The ward team arranges what it can at discharge, yet it is often the weeks that follow, when washing, dressing and cooking have to happen without help, that reveal where the real difficulties lie. Private Occupational Therapy can visit during that period to see how someone is managing in their own home and what would make the biggest difference.
This is independent support that sits alongside NHS care rather than replacing it. There is no arrangement with the hospital or the trust: you contact the service directly, and no GP referral is needed. For people living with weakness, fatigue or memory problems after a stroke or brain injury, neurological rehabilitation at home concentrates on rebuilding the routines that matter to that person, such as getting to the shops, managing medication or returning to a hobby.
Home assessments
Single-storey cottages, terraces and seafront homes
Housing across the city ranges from Victorian terraces and the distinctive single-storey Sunderland cottages to coastal semis and newer estates, and each brings its own pressure points.
A cottage may have no main staircase but a narrow front passage, a step down to the back kitchen and a small rear bathroom, sometimes with an attic bedroom reached by a steep set of stairs. Streets of these homes survive in areas such as Hendon and Millfield. A home assessment watches how the person actually moves through the rooms they use every day and sets out practical changes, from rails and equipment to larger adaptations that may need a grant.
What a home visit usually checks
- Front and back steps
- Stairs, landings and handrails
- Bathing and toilet access
- Rising from bed and chairs
- Kitchen reach and safety
- Lighting and trip hazards
Services
What people in the city most often ask for
Requests from Sunderland households cover every age group, and three areas of work are especially relevant to the city.
Falls prevention
Visits for older adults who have fallen or worry about falling, with advice relatives can help put in place.
Falls prevention
Children's OT and school evidence
Assessments for children with coordination, sensory or self-care difficulties, including reports for an EHCP request.
EHCP and school assessmentsFrom Roker and Seaburn to Houghton-le-Spring and Hetton-le-Hole
The city stretches from the seafront at Roker and Seaburn, through Southwick, Pallion and Hendon, to Doxford Park in the south-west and the former colliery towns of Houghton-le-Spring and Hetton-le-Hole. Visits can be planned anywhere in Sunderland, and the cost of travel from Newcastle is included in the quote you see before anything is booked.
Along the coast, falls prevention and bathroom access are typical concerns for older residents who want to keep living independently near the sea. In Houghton-le-Spring, Hetton-le-Hole and the villages around them, older pit housing often brings outdoor steps and compact bathrooms into the assessment. Washington also lies within the city boundary and has its own page on occupational therapy in Washington, while every other location is listed on the areas served page.
School visits in the city can be arranged with the agreement of the head teacher or SENCO, so a child is observed in their own classroom rather than an unfamiliar room. Once the first assessment is complete, Private Occupational Therapy can hold some reviews, parent coaching and planning meetings by video, which keeps follow-up practical for families who live further from the centre.
- Roker
- Seaburn
- Fulwell
- Southwick
- Pallion
- Hendon
- Millfield
- Silksworth
- Doxford Park
- Houghton-le-Spring
- Hetton-le-Hole
Council support, grants and paying for therapy
As the local authority, Sunderland City Council is responsible for adult social care, Disabled Facilities Grants and Education, Health and Care Plans. A private report can run alongside those processes, for example giving a family clear evidence about bathroom access while they wait for a council assessment, or describing a child's needs in a way the school's SENCO can use. Procedures and waiting times are set by the council and can change, so check the current position with it directly.
Many clients pay for themselves, but some use private health insurance, a personal health budget or direct payments where the funder agrees, or a solicitor-funded route after an injury. The fees and funding page explains each option, and Private Occupational Therapy will always confirm the cost in writing first.
Getting started
How does a first visit get arranged?
The how it works page describes every stage in full. The process runs like this.
Send a short enquiry
Use the quote form or email, naming the part of Sunderland you live in and the main difficulty.
Initial conversation
Talk through goals, whether a home, school or video appointment fits best, and who else should be involved.
Quote and booking
You receive a written quote, including travel, before any appointment is confirmed.
Assessment and report
The visit takes place, followed by written recommendations and, if needed, a therapy plan.
Ask about a home visit on Wearside
Let us know which part of Sunderland you are in and what has become difficult, and you will get a reply explaining how a visit would work and what it would cost.