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Adapting our flat to become accessible

My husband had recently become disabled with having a leg amputated and i would like to know what i have to do to find accessible housing as our flat is not adapted in any way and he cannot access the bathroom or even leave the flat
Replies
Welcome it’s great to meet you this evening.
We have got some info on here & I will post the link below for you.
https://search.scope.org.uk/s/redirect?collection=scope-meta&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scope.org.uk%2Fsupport%2Fdisabled-people%2Findependent-living%2Fhousing&index_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scope.org.uk%2Fsupport%2Fdisabled-people%2Findependent-living%2Fhousing&auth=YuJ7rMj6l4dog%2BmmVGEZ2Q&profile=_default&rank=1&query=Housing
Please please let me know if there’s any problems????
Have you checked out the information in our 'Adapting your home' and 'Getting out and about' section?
Let us know if you need any further help
Disability Gamechanger - 2019
Disability Gamechanger - 2019
Disability Gamechanger - 2019
Disability Gamechanger - 2019
Good Morning 😀 😀 😀
How are things today????
Have you got everything in hand 🖐️ 🖐️ 🖐️
Please please let me know if you are still having problems???
@steve51
Hi @sprkmac
Thanks for posting on the "Ask an OT" page, sorry there has been a delay in me getting back to you, I'm only able to log on here every few days.
Now that your husband has become disabled you may be eligible to join the waiting list for council or social housing. If you were already on the waiting list your priority for being housed will probably have increased as a result of your new circumstances. So if you haven't already done so, do make an urgent appointment with a Housing Advisor from your Local Authority.
I would expect the Local Authority Housing Advisor to be able to talk to you about Council owned properties and also signpost to any appropriate Housing Associations in your area.
If you have the means to privately rent or buy an accessible property you could take advice from a specialist company such as: http://www.branchproperties.co.uk
Local estate agents and letting agents might potentially have some accessible properties on their books but unfortunately fully wheelchair accessible properties can be difficult to find in the private rental sector.
If you are able to find a property via the Local Authority, housing association or private market that would better meet your husbands needs with the addition of adaptations or equipment, the Community OT may be able to assist. Hopefully when your husband's discharge from hospital is being planned there will be a transfor of his case from the Hospital OT to the Community OT. However, this doesn't always happen in a smooth or timely fashion and so do contact the Community OT direct if necessary. You can normally get their details from your Local Authority website or switchboard.
Do bear in mind that the Community OT is limited in the types of equipment and adaptations they can provide. Depending on your financial circumstances adaptations might be funded via a Disabled Facilities Grant: https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/disabled-facilities-grant Also the permission of a property owner is required before any structural adaptations can be carried out.
There is a charity which focuses on supporting and advising people who have had an amputation: http://www.limbless-association.org/
Best Wishes
Jean
Jean Merrilees BSc MRCOT
You can read more of my posts at: https://community.scope.org.uk/categories/ask-an-occupational-therapist
Rita