There is a huge range of daily living equipment and assistive technology available these days. However, the challenge is knowing which items on offer provide the best solution for you and your personal circumstances.
Consulting an Occupational Therapist can save you a lot of money and wasted time, ensuring you do not end up purchasing equipment that will not suit your personal circumstances and meet your long-term needs.
The In-House OT Service provides specialist advice when planning to build or adapt your home to ensure your long-term needs are also met.
The vast majority of general or home builders are not familiar with the technical specifications and requirements for specialist adaptations and making retrospective changes to completed works can be both costly and impractical.
It pays to get the right professional specialist OT advice as early as possible in design and planning stages.
Examples of Daily Living Equipment:
- Raised toilet seats & frames
- Bath & shower seats & lifts
- Chair raisers
- Long-handed grabbers, shoe horns, sponges
- Commodes
- Special cutlery: lightweight, large-handled and angled
- Bed rails
- Bath steps
Common Adaptations:
Access Solutions
Steps and hand rails; ramps; banister rails; stairlifts; step lifts; through-floor lifts
Bathroom & Toileting
Level access showers; grab rails; wash & dry toilets; over bath showers; walk-in baths
Kitchen Adaptations
Height-adjustable counter tops; carousels units; drop-down baskets
Garden Adaptations
Raised flowerbeds, sensory gardens, adapted swings & roundabouts
Can you get the help you need FREE of charge?
It is always advisable that you make contact with your local authority as you may be able to obtain an Occupational Therapy assessment via your local service without charge.
They may be able to complete an assessment with you in your home and provide you with certain equipment and minor adaptations (e.g. rails) free of charge. If you are assessed as requiring a larger, more complex, home adaptation i.e. a level access shower or stairlift, you may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG).
Financial assistance for adults is ‘means-tested’ and the whole process is administered through the local authority. If a DFG is awarded it could be for the full or partial cost of the required works. Disabled children under the age of 18 can get a grant without their parents income being taken into account.
In some cases, where assessment waiting times are very long, some local authorities will accept an assessment and the recommendations of a private OT.
Contact your Local Council for more information.