Repairs, Adaptations and Equipment
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Identifying adaptation and equipment needs
Our sections on the home environment and on safety in the home indicate the sort of home adaptations that can be useful. An occupational therapist and/or a physiotherapist will be able to assess your loved one's needs from their specialism's point of view, and advise on equipment and adaptations that would be useful.
In the UK, an occupational therapist may be provided by the NHS or social services, and a physiotherapist may be provided by the NHS. They are also available privately (see the links directly above).
Equipment loan, grants and hire
You may be able to obtain loan equipment, or be eligible for a grant, or to hire suitable equipment rather than purchase it - ask your occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
In the UK, social services and the NHS provide some types of equipment on free loan, and social services fund the purchase of some equipment (for further information see the Alzheimer's Society website information on buying equipment). Also in the UK, other organisations that provide grants for adaptations and repairs may provide grants for equipment (for further information see the Alzheimer's Society website information on equipment grants).
Grants for adaptations and repairs
You may be eligible for a grant for home adaptations and repairs, or help with identifying adaptations needed and help with arranging such work.
The following information applies to the UK.
A number of organisations may be able to help - for an overview see the Alzheimer's Society website information on equipment grants).
The main national Home Improvement Agency (HIA) organisations are as follows (note that HIA and Care & Repair are not protected names, so other organisations use these terms within their names too):
- In England, see the Care & Repair England website. The local agency in your council area is listed on the Find My HIA website.
- In Scotland, see the Care and Repair Scotland website. The local agency in your council area is listed in the Care and Repair Scotland website's office locations section.
- In Wales, see the Care & Repair Cymru website. The local agency in your council area is listed in the Care & Repair Cymru website's in your area section.
- In Northern Ireland, see the Housing Executive website, under my housing executive - adaptations - home improvement agencies.
Home repair and handyman organisations
In addition to those organisations that may provide grants (see the previous subsection), your local council may have details of reputable organisations that provide home repair and handyperson services. Try searching your council's website with keywords such as 'help at home', 'help maintaining home', 'help adapting home', 'handyman scheme', 'handy person service' etc (omitting the quotes).
In general we wouldn't rely on third party websites run by companies that make a business out of listing supposedly good traders - their aim is to list large numbers of traders in order to collect subscription money for themselves, and the traders all seem to have 99.x% feedback which in practice doesn't seem to be deserved.
In the UK:
- Age UK's website has a listing of handyperson services.
- The Buy With Confidence scheme run by the Trading Standards services of local and county councils has a listing - see the Buy With Confidence website.