Adaptations and equipment for the home
There is a wide range of advice and practical suggestions, equipment and adaptations that can help you go on living independently at home.
If you are finding it hard to manage in your current house or flat, you may want to consider adapting it to suit your needs.
Adaptations to your home
You can get information, advice and help on all aspects of making alterations to your home from Occupational Therapists, who can carry out an assessment of what you can and can’t do. Contact OT Direct to arrange a meeting.
Your Local council housing department can provide Disabled Facilities Grants to pay, or help pay, for alterations. Grants are means-tested and people also have to meet the medical criteria which apply. These include an occupational therapy assessment to support the request for a grant.
Your local Home Improvement Agency (HIA) also known as In Touch. The staff at your local HIA can help you with your application for the Disabled Facilities Grant. If you do not qualify for a grant, HIA staff can suggest other means of funding the work.
Staff at Design Options for a Versatile Environment (DOVE) can give advice and suggestions about how you could adapt your home to meet your needs, including trying out a stairlift. Tel 02392 78 7788
Moving and handling people
If you are caring for someone who needs help moving out of a chair or up and down stairs, then a mobility assessment and, if appropriate mobility aid, would be provided by the person’s GP.
If this does not resolve the difficulties, then an Occupational Therapist could carry out a moving and handling assessment at the person’s home. If the situation is urgent, or anyone is in immediate need or at risk of injury, then please contact OT Direct for an urgent moving and handling assessment. The Occupational Therapist can discuss options with you.
Equipment for the home
Our Equipment for the home pages have more information on a variety of equipment ranging from large installations like stairlifts, to smaller items such as rails to help you in the bathroom, to specialised kitchen utensils.