Adapting Your Home For the Disabled
Methods of Acquiring Home Adaptations
One of the reasons that people often think they won’t be able to remain living in the home they love is when it becomes less suitable for their needs, for instance, when the stairs are difficult to manage, or you can no longer get in and out of the bath. However, by making some straightforward disability house modifications it can mean the difference between remaining in your own home or having to go and live in residential care. Depending on your circumstances you may find that home alterations for disabled people are free, but there are other options too:
Manually
You can arrange the alterations through a private adaptations company in your area and pay for it yourself
Through your local council
You can ask your local council to assess your home and recommend changes to help
Through your housing association
Social landlords (council or housing association) may pay for necessary adaptations
Through the NHS
If you’ve been in hospital the NHS will often loan or give you equipment that can help when you return home
Why It's Important to Alter Homes for The Disabled
By altering your home, it means you get to remain living in the place that you love, which is great for your physical and emotional wellbeing. While you may be worried about the upheaval that having disabled home adaptations fitted can cause, they can usually be completed relatively easily and quickly, and with minimum disruption to your daily routine. If the work you’re having done is more major then it may be a good idea to stay with family or friends for a while until it’s completed so that you don’t have to deal with the inconvenience.
What Type of Equipment can You Get?
Stairlifts
These can be fitted to most types of staircase so that you can be ‘carried’ up and down and don’t have to climb the stairs manually
Ramps
If you are struggling with steps or if you are a wheelchair user having ramps fitted can mean you are able to remain living at home for longer
Handrails
If you don’t feel confident going up and down steps or stairs without having something to hold onto then handrails can help
Alarms
Alarms can alert if doors are opened for instance, or personalised alarms can be worn in case you need help due to a fall
Sensors
Sensors can also be fitted in rooms to detect motion so changes in mobility can be detected easily, such as in the case of a fall
Auto door openers
Devices can be fitted that can open heavy doors automatically or reduce the physical effort needed
What Else Can You Do to Make Your Home Disability Friendly
Googling terms such as ‘adapting home for disabled’ or ‘car modifications for disabled near me’ will bring up local results that may help you further with ideas for how your home or vehicle can be adapted to your needs. There are many organisations that can help further such as Age UK, who can advise about financial assistance to make changes to your home to help you manage better. “You may be eligible for financial support from your council to make small adaptations to your home. For larger adaptations, you can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.” Smaller, immediate changes that can help include:
Rearranging furniture
Ask loved ones to help you move furniture around in a room to see if it helps the room ‘flow’ better and makes navigating it easier. It’s amazing how different a room can appear just by rearranging furniture to better suit your needs and it’ll keep you safer too.
Getting rid of mess
We can all be guilty of keeping too much stuff around the house at times, however when your mobility is limited, it can present a real hazard. Clearing rooms of excess furniture, rugs and general clutter can make all the difference.
Ensuring lighting is sufficient
Nothing presents more of a hazard to a person’s mobility than not being able to see trip hazards. If lighting is a problem at home, ask loved ones to install brighter light bulbs, plug in additional table lamps, or ask an electrician to install supplementary ceiling fittings.
Disability Care with Helping Hands
Nothing helps you to remain living at home more than additional help with your daily routine from our dedicated carers. Available on both a visiting and live-in care basis, our carers work tirelessly to support your everyday life and keep you as independent as possible at home. They’ll support your mobility, keep you safe and make sure that everything that needs to be done to help you live with your disabilities is carried out, from emptying the bins through to accompanying you to your appointments. They can help you to remain living in the home you love because they can live there with you, offering around-the-clock support so that you’re never alone. This isn’t just reassuring for you though; it will also give your loved ones peace of mind, especially if they live some distance away. Whether you need us for an hour a week or throughout the day, Helping Hands are the UK’s most trusted home care provider, all fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission and the Care Inspectorate Wales.
