GMobility’s Top 5 Tips for Prescribing Home Modifications 

Home modifications can make an enormous difference in supporting safe, long-term independence for clients living with mobility or functional limitations. Well-planned modifications reduce fall risk, support discharge planning, and minimise the need for long-term care placement.  

GMobility delivers minor home modifications across West and South Gippsland, the Latrobe Valley, Casey Cardinia, and the Bass Coast region. We work with health professionals and a wide range of clients, including those funded through NDIS, TAC, SWEP, DVA, and private channels.   

Drawing on hundreds of real-world installations across Gippsland and surrounding regions, we have identified five key recommendations to help prescribers achieve the best outcomes.

1. Always Complete a Functional Assessment in the Client’s Home

Nothing replaces seeing how a client moves in their actual environment. Observing transfers, mobility patterns, and compensatory strategies reveals far more than a diagnosis or client report alone. A client may say they can step into a bath, but observation may reveal balance issues or unsafe strategies. Similarly, noting which leg a client leads with can affect the correct side for rail placement. 

Recommendation: Conduct assessments in the home whenever possible. Accurate measurements and observation ensure prescriptions match real needs. 

How GMobility Helps: Our team can join site visits to provide installation insight while you focus on clinical assessment. We can confirm measurements, check wall fixings, and flag practical considerations so your recommendations are ready to implement. 

2. Factor in the Structural Features of the Home Early

Many homes in regional Victoria have structural constraints that affect installation options. Weatherboard homes, narrow door frames, and ageing bathrooms with poor drainage or weak walls often limit what can be installed without further modification.  

Recommendation: Consider wall types for affixing grab rails, drainage, and space limitations during the initial prescription stage. This prevents delays and potentially costly redesigns. 

How GMobility Helps: Our modifications team can provide practical advice on what’s structurally possible and can suggest alternative options or reinforcements where needed.

3. Plan with Both Present and Future Needs in Mind

As experienced Occupational and Physiotherapists, you are well aware that client needs evolve. A rail on steps may work for now, but a ramp may be needed in six months. Short-term solutions that don’t anticipate future requirements run the risk of creating redundancy and extra cost. 

Recommendation: Consider staging modifications and provide clients and funders with both immediate and long-term options. This enables informed decision-making and sustainable solutions. 

How GMobility Helps: We can provide side-by-side quotes for short- and long-term solutions. This allows you to clearly present staged options to funders and clients, making planning transparent and reducing the risk of future rework. 

4. Match Modifications to How the Client Actually Moves

Even perfectly installed modifications may not be used if they don’t align with a client’s natural movement patterns. A textbook rail height doesn’t help if the client never reaches for it, and ramp gradients should match the specific equipment your clients are using in their homes.  

Recommendation: Involve the client in trials and confirm that suggested rail or ramp modifications will align with their actual movement and reach. 

How GMobility Helps: Our team can adjust positioning, height, and angles based on your clinical guidance and the client’s actual movement – this can help to ensure modifications are tailored and functional from day one. 

5. Communicate Early and Often with Installers

Strong collaboration between prescriber and installer ensures the modification matches the clinical intent. Prescriptions or requests for quote that lack detail risk being misinterpreted – leading to delays or ineffective solutions. 

Recommendation: Where possible, provide clear diagrams, measurements, and photos for each modification request. And don’t hesitate to ask for help or site visits! 

How GMobility Helps: Our home mods team provides detailed documentation for every job, including photos, measurements, and clear product specifications. We work directly with prescribing therapists to confirm placement and can make real-time adjustments during installation if required. 

Partnering for Better Outcomes 

GMobility’s role is to support health professionals with practical solutions that work in the real world. We know the products, have the installation experience, and we strive to understand how to turn a clinical recommendation into a safe, effective modification. With the clinical knowledge of our experienced Occupational and Physiotherapists, together, we can ensure clients receive modifications that truly work for them. 

 GMobility can provide: 

• Joint home visits and consultations with our experienced home mods team. 

• Custom rails, ramps, and accessible bathroom solutions. 

• Clear, detailed quoting with annotated photos and supporting documentation. 

• Minor Modifications services across West and South Gippsland, the Latrobe Valley, Casey Cardinia, and the Bass Coast region. 

• Support for clients funded through NDIS, SWEP, TAC, DVA, and private channels. 

Contact us today to book a site visit or discuss your next home modifications request!