Adaptations to homes are carried out to enable people who have disabilities, or who are infirm, to remain and live comfortably in their own home. Typical adaptations would be the fitting of extra handrails on stairs, building a ramp to allow a level entrance to your home, or making the bathroom more accessible.
How do I go about getting my home adapted?
If you think that you need to make an adaptation to your home to make it easier for you to manage you should contact the Social Services Office who will arrange a suitable time to visit you at home and make an initial assessment of your needs.
They may be able to resolve your problem simply, perhaps with a minor adaptation such as installing a grab-rail, carried out by the Council's Technical Services Department. If a major adaptation is needed, a Social Services Occupational Therapist will need to carry out a full assessment, which may identify risks to your health if the changes were not made. An Occupational Therapist is a specialist who assesses the need for housing adaptations and daily living equipment. Social Services will arrange an appointment for you.
Social Services will then inform you which adaptations they agree are necessary and appropriate by letter.
The help available to you depends upon:
- your individually assessed needs
- the type of property you live in, and whether it can be adapted.
