Adaptions to your home can make life easier and safer, enabling you to stay independent for longer and increasing your quality of life. Making larger adaptions can be costly, but don’t let this put you off, as there is plenty of help available. Generally, small adaptations and equipment under £1000 are provided free of charge if they are deemed necessary and you are eligible. Larger, more expensive adaptions are means tested under the Disabled Facilities Grant system – contact your local authority to have your needs assessed and learn how to access financial support.

Common small-scale adaptations can include grab rails and hand rails, home alarms, and key-safe systems. There is also low cost equipment available such as bath boards, commodes, clocks and digital calenders with large bold displays and telephones with a louder ring and larger easier to press buttons. This is just a small example of the adaptions which are available, there are so many more ways in which life can be made easier for you. We see many of these adaptions around our Service Users homes and they prove invaluable at maintaining independence, whilst ensuring safety.

It’s also worth knowing Age UK operates a handy-person service, which is low-cost or free, depending on the tasks required. This can include simple repairs, safety measures and home security checks.

There is so much help available, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. At The Service Tree we see these adaptions and equipment on a daily basis and we love to share our knowledge, so please get in touch with us for a chat, we will gladly share our ideas and experiences with you.