Sometimes you or the person you care for needs additional equipment or adaptations to the home to assist independent living or to ensure that you can look after their needs safely.
If you are considering getting any equipment or making any adaptations to your own home or that of the person you care for, it’s a good idea to get some professional advice before going ahead for example from an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, district nurse or continence advisor.
Equipment to help in the home
Equipment for the home is available to help older people or those with disabilities manage bathing, dressing, toileting and moving around the home day to day. If you are leaving hospital, an occupational therapist or physiotherapist will assess your needs and arrange for the equipment you need. Most equipment is ordered through the local authority – some simple items can be ordered directly by you while others require a professional assessment before they can be ordered.
Adaptations to the home
You may be eligible for support to make adaptations to your home such as changing the layout of your kitchen or bathroom or putting ramps inside or outside your property. Your local council will use a set of criteria to assess eligibility for a major adaptation – this is the same criteria used to assess eligibility for care at home services. An occupational therapist will visit and assess the needs of the person you care for.
Alarms and monitors for the home
For people who are vulnerable living in their own homes, due to frailty, disability or illness, a community alarm system can provide support and reassurance for someone who might not be able to phone for help in an emergency, for example a pendant worn around the person’s neck or sensors in the home which trigger the alarm when needed. The technology is unobtrusive but highly effective in keeping people and their property safe. If the alarm is triggered the system alerts key contacts who will attend in an emergency.
See below for information specific to carers living in Edinburgh or Midlothian: