How do I get help

tracey123
tracey123 Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
How can I get help, to get aids and equipment, for the home, please thanks x

Comments

  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Online Community Member Posts: 5,195 Championing
    Hi Tracey and welcome

     What equipement do you need ?
    The best option is to get a referal from your GP for an OT assessment

    CR
  • tracey123
    tracey123 Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
    Things like bathroom aids, and I struggle with stairs, so would benefit from a stair lift, chair, that runs up the stairs, thanks
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,761 Championing
    Hi @tracey123, our Occupational Therapist @Jean_Scope may be able to help you further with this, and you may also like to look through the grants search to see if any awards are applicable to you.
  • Jean_OT
    Jean_OT Online Community Member Posts: 511 Empowering

    Hi @tracey123

    You have partly been given the correct advice already, but I just wanted to clarify matters a little.

    I agree that you need to have your home and your needs assessed by the Community Occupational Therapist (OT). They will be part of a team based within your local authority. You can ask your GP to rather you, or in most instances you can make direct contact with them yourself.

    There is a host of different equipment available and part of the role of the OT is to match your needs to what is available and appropriate to you in your circumstances. In most instances small items (like basic bath aids, grad rails, etc) can be supplied for free from the local authorities 'minor adaptation budget'. There are regional differences to these budgets, see:  

    https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/funding-to-adapt-your-home-for-accessibility

    Larger adaptations, such as stairlifts can be funded via a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), these are means-tested for adults:

    https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/disabled-facilities-grant

    If you decide that you want to explore further about the sort of aids and adaptations that can be useful to disabled people there is a wealth of further information in the Equipment Section of the Scope website:

    https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/equipment 

    Another website that can be helpful for exploring equipment is AskSARA, it is interactive and can provide information tailored to your needs:

    https://asksara.dlf.org.uk/

    Hope this helps,

    Jean

    https://community.scope.org.uk/categories/ask-an-occupational-therapist