FAQs
What sets Own Body apart from our competitors?
Own Body is a professional at-home allied health team, established in 2010; unlike most companies home visits aren’t an add on service within our business. All of our services are delivered in the convenience of your own home or office so we understand the intricacies of providing mobile care, and how to get the best results using your environment.
We truly care about our clients and believe in a personal connection. You won’t ever feel like ‘just another client’ with Own Body.
We value experience. We don’t hire juniors; you will be linked with an experienced therapist in your area who understands your condition and how to help you rehabilitate with the right technique — which means faster results and improved health for you.
How long are appointments?
In most cases we allocate 1 hour for initial appointments and 30-60 minutes for subsequent appointments depending on your needs. However, we can shorten sessions if fatigue or time constraints are an issue.
Which areas do Own Body service?
We now service metropolitan and greater Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart and Launceston. These are ever growing and we must admit our website can’t always keep up! Give us a call and see if we service your area? For a full list of locations (based on our last update) click here.
What are your fees?
You’ll find our rates unbeatable. Unlike some other mobile health care professionals, we generally don’t charge extra for travel.
Our initial consultation fee is $173 per appointment for physiotherapy and podiatry and $173 per hour for Occupational Therapy (these appointments can be up to 3 hours including report writing).
Standard consultations range from $121-$163 depending on the length of time required and Telehealth appointments range from $90-$136 per appointment (up to 1 hour).
Note: Regional prices and NDIS surcharge (for Two (2) initial sessions) may apply. You may also wish to talk with your GP or health cover provider to discuss whether you are eligible for a rebate.
Can I claim Own Body at home services from my private health insurance?
In most cases Yes! Our at-home physiotherapy, podiatry, and occupational therapy services are claimable on your private health insurance under ancillary or “Extras” cover, however we advise you to check directly with your insurer. The rebate will depend on your provider and level of cover, and for privacy reasons Own Body cannot give you an estimate of your out of pocket cost.
Can I claim Own Body services from Medicare?
The Australian Government has recently instigated the “Chronic Disease Management” (CDM) Program, (previously referred to as EPC) which provides a partial rebate for physiotherapy services when your GP refers you under this program. For more information and to find out if you are eligible, click here.
Are Own Body therapists reliable and trustworthy?
YES! All therapists come to us (and to you) highly recommended by their peers and with a full police check and AHPRA registration. Own Body therapists are chosen based on a demonstrated commitment to their clients, the profession, and continuing professional education. Once they join our team, we invest significant time and resources to ensure we continue to provide a consistent high quality service. We provide significant mentoring and professional development opportunities such as inservices, team clinical discussions and regular connection calls with supervisors. Our management team also seek and welcome direct feedback from clients and referrers, and conduct audits and performance reviews.
Are there extra fees for travel?
No – our fees are inclusive of travel time for most regions. We try our best to allocate a therapist that lives or works nearby to minimise their time en route. Should you or your client live outside of our standard service area, we will ensure any additional travel fees are discussed and approved prior to proceeding.
Can I select my appointment time?
Arranging appointments according to the most efficient route enables our team to maximise the number of clients they can assist and helps keep costs down by avoiding excess travel. While every effort is made to work to your requirements, we unfortunately cannot lock an appointment time for these reasons without increasing our costs or adding a surcharge for these requests.
In most cases, your clinician will give confirmation of the date of the appointment in advance. Once the clinician has confirmed their list of clients for the day (usually 1 day prior), they will confirm the time of your appointment. Once this time has been confirmed, we will let you know if we are running more than 15 minutes early or behind the predicted time.
Can you guarantee arrival time?
In most cases, your clinician will give confirmation of the date of the appointment in advance; then the day prior (once they confirm their clients for the day), they will confirm the time of the appointment. Once this time has been confirmed, we will let you know if we are running more than 10 minutes early or behind the predicted time.
Arranging appointments according to the most efficient route, enables our team to maximise the number of clients they can assist and helps keep costs down by avoiding excess travel. While every effort is made to work to your requirements, we unfortunately cannot lock an appointment time for these reasons without increasing our costs or adding a surcharge for these requests.
Do I need a doctor’s referral to start rehabilitation at home with Own Body?
No. Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Podiatry are primary care professions, which means you can contact us directly and no referral is needed. Should you have a complex medical condition or have recently undergone surgery, we ask that someone from your healthcare team (nurse, doctor, surgeon, hospital physio/OT) provides a written summary of your current condition.
What can I expect on my first appointment?
During your first appointment, your therapist will discuss your relevant medical history with you, your goals, and how you would like Own Body to assist you to reach these goals. Together you will create a plan for your treatment.
If you have had any relevant letters from other healthcare professionals, please have these handy to assist us in tailoring a program for your injuries. Treatment will commence in the first session, and in most cases your therapist will leave you with a written list of exercises or advice to continue your progress until the next session.
In subsequent sessions, your therapist will work with you to help you achieve your goals independently. That can be through exercise programs, advice, activity modification or helping you participate in community activities. See Treatment options here
Do I need to provide any equipment?
Occupational Therapy Clients:
No. All we ask is that you provide a clean, clear space for your therapist to assess you and provide treatment. Own Body prides itself on being flexible in our approach to each session and we utilise your space to create a variety of equipment to suit your needs.
We may ask that you purchase adaptive equipment to help you reach your goals. These may include small tools, tablets (iPad etc), or larger equipment such as mobility scooters. We can also help liaise with your funding body for approval.
Physiotherapy Clients:
No. All we ask is that you provide a clean, clear space for your therapist to assess you and provide treatment. Own Body prides itself on being flexible in our approach to each session and we utilise your space to create a variety of equipment to suit your needs.
On occasion we may recommend that you purchase small equipment items such as therabands or weights to maximise your results. However, in most cases we will show you exercises that can be done around your home with little to no equipment.
However, if you do have your own equipment, feel free to ask us to include it in your program, as your therapist can teach you new exercises to practice at home or help improve your technique with exercises you’ve done before.
Podiatry Clients:
You will need a comfortable foot rest and clean towels to help with your nail care.
Why don’t Own Body therapists provide manual treatment and massage?
As we are an at-home service, we cannot transport treatment tables with us to appointments, and it is against OH & S legislation (and common sense for our own backs) to provide massage and mobilisation to backs and necks on other surfaces.
Our treatment philosophy also revolves around active rather than passive therapy. Read more about this here.
We recognise that manual therapy is needed on occasion, and as such we have an extensive network of private practices (physiotherapy, OT and podiatry) and remedial massage services to refer to which complement the service we offer.
Is there a waiting period?
In most cases we can arrange a therapist to visit you within a few days.
Does Own Body accept TAC and WorkCare clients?
Yes. However, please note that TAC and WorkCare patients will be liable for the full service fee upfront. Upon payment, a receipt will be issued which can be taken to your insurer for payment.
Does Own Body accept clients covered under compensable programs?
Yes. However, please note that all these clients will be liable for the full service fee upfront. Upon payment, a receipt will be issued which can be taken to your insurer for payment, however these funding bodies may not cover the full service fee. Please speak to your case manager for further information.
What do other clients say about Own Body?
AHPRA prohibits the use of testimonials for the effectiveness of health care services in advertising, so as much as we would love to pass on some of the great feedback we receive, you’ll have to trust us on this one! What we can tell you (and are very proud to report) is that our clients frequently compliment us on the kind, caring and trustworthy natures of our team, and most of our new clients and referrers come from word of mouth recommendations.
How can I learn more?
Check out our social media to see what our team and clients get up to!
