Adaptations To Your Home
An Occupational Therapy team member will carry out an assessment of your needs. Adaptations can be recommended following assessment.
An ‘adaptation’ is an alteration to your home to enable you to have access to the essential facilities you require to carry out your daily living needs.
This may be:
- A stairlift to take you to your bathroom/toilet where they are situated upstairs
- Replacing your bath with a shower where you cannot get into your bath and are unable to carry out personal care tasks in other ways
- A ramp to enable you to get in/out of your home if you use a wheelchair
- An extension to your property where there are no alternative means of providing access to essential facilities
- A rail by your toilet to assist you to get off it
- A banister rail to help you get up and down your stairs safely
How your needs are assessed
Your Occupational Therapist (OT) will carry out an assessment of your needs:
- Your OT will talk to you and observe the ways in which your disability affects your daily life.
- With your permission she/he may contact your doctor (or other professional who knows you, like the physiotherapist or district nurse) to find out how your disability will affect you in the future.
- Your OT will then discuss with you the ways in which your problems may be overcome.
- As part of the assessment, if major adaptations are required, your OT may arrange for an architect or surveyor to visit your home to find out whether it is feasible to carry out alterations to it and the ways in which this may be done.
- An assessment form will be completed detailing all this information, including your comments.
- A copy of the agreed Action Plan will be given to you.
- All information is dealt with in the strictest confidence and will not be given to anyone without your permission.
Minor Adaptations
Examples may include grab rails, bannister rails, access alterations (internal and external).
Minor adaptations that are recommended following your OT assessment will be funded by Social Services. The OT will arrange for a contractor to carry out the necessary work.
Major Adaptations
Examples may include stair lifts, level access showers, major access alterations, extensions to your property.
Major adaptations that are recommended following your OT assessment will be funded in accordance with the tenure of your property.
- Owner/Occupier - you may be eligible to apply for a disabled facilities grant (DFG) via Housing and Community Services who will provide you with all the information you need. Your OT will continue to support you throughout this process.
- Housing Association (HA) - your HA may provide the necessary funding. If not you may also be able to apply for a DFG as above. Your OT will continue to support you throughout this process.
- Private Rental - your landlord may agree to provide you with the adaptations you require. Alternatively with the landlord's permission you may be able to apply for a DFG. Your OT will continue to support you throughout this process.
- Poole Housing Partnership (PHP
) - they will fund the necessary adaptations as recommended by the OT, who will support you throughout this process.
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