If you have a disability or chronic medical condition that affects your ability to access all parts of your house and move around your home safely and comfortably, you may find that the right equipment or home adaptation and expert advice can help you.
Regardless of where you live in the Highlands and whether you own your home or rent it from the Council, a housing association or a private landlord, you may be able to get help with both equipment and adaptations.
Social Work staff usually Occupational Therapists (OTs) can visit you at home and assess your needs. They will be able to advise you of the practical solutions available to you to help you to get around your home. They will suggest particular types of equipment or adaptations for your home to help you live independently, safely and comfortably.
Telecare
Equipment
Adaptations
Council Tenants
Housing Association Tenants
Private Owner Occupiers or Tenants
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Equipment
There is a range of equipment that can be provided to help you in your home. Usually equipment isn't something that is fixed permanently in your home. Examples of commonly used equipment would be chair cushions or toilet seats or bathroom equipment that is moveable.
Larger pieces of equipment such as stair lifts are dealt with in the same way as adaptations because they involve alterations to your home.
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No matter what type of house you live in, whether you own your own home or rent it from the Council, a housing association, or a private landlord, you will receive equipment in the same way as everybody else.
If you think equipment would help you in your home, you should contact your local Social Work office in order to request a visit and assessment for equipment. This assessment will usually, but not always, be carried out by an Occupational Therapist.
You will be advised what equipment is suitable and available to help you and arrangements will be made for it to be installed in your home. Relevant Social Work or NHS staff will also make sure you are comfortable using the equipment
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If you have been in hospital and you need equipment to help you in your home once you return, your needs will be assessed by a hospital based OT or other professional such as a community nurse or physiotherapist. For further information about Occupational Therapy in NHS Highland you can visit the NHS Highland website.
You don’t need to organise or arrange any of this. The hospital based staff will make sure that you are properly advised and that appropriate equipment recommended for your home. They will also make arrangements for the equipment to be delivered to your home. This may be done by Community OTs who work for The Highland Council Social Work Service.
If you need further help with equipment (or adaptations) in your home once you have returned, the hospital staff will refer your case to The Highland Council Social Work Service staff who will then contact you.
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There is currently no charge for equipment provided.
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Relevant staff, usually from Social Work Service at the Council, will be responsible for arranging for the collection of equipment once you no longer need it.
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The term "adaptations" describes a range of different changes that can be made to a building (e.g. a house) in order to enable a person to move as easily and safely around their home as possible and maintain their independence.
An adaptation to your home is basically anything that alters it physically including things that are fixed in your home in order to assist your movement. Examples of small adaptations would include:
- hand rails and grab rails
- improved access and widened pathway to main entrance
- some ramps
- window opening equipment
- kitchen level taps
Examples of mor emajor adaptations would include:
- alterations to your toilet or bathroom facilities, such as a level access shower
- alterations to door, pathways, kitchen car access to your house
- hoists, stair lifts
An adaptation to your home will be carried out in a slightly different way depending on whether you own your home or rent it from the Council, a housing association or a prviate landlord. But no matter what tenure of house you live in, you will be entitled to the same assessment for adaptations as anyone else.
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How do you get your home adapted if you are a Council tenant?
Usually you will need to be assessed for an adaptation in your home. You can contact your local Socal Work office directly for an assessment. Alternatively you can contct your local Housing and Property office, who can discuss your case wth you and if necessary will pass your details to Social Work Service for an assessment.
If you have had an assessment and an adaptation is suitable and necessary for your home, the details of your Social Work assessment and requirements for adaptations will be forwarded to Housing and Property to carry out the work.
In some cases you may not need an assessment from Social Work and may be able to receive an adaptatoin directly. This is sometimes the case with small adaptations or with self assessed level access showers, which are summarised below.
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How can you get a small adaptation, such as a rail, if you are a Council tenant?
Sometimes small adaptations can be provided directly to you without the need for a Social Work assessment. Examples of small adaptations which might be directly provided to you are:
- hand rails (and other types of rails)
- internal door threshold ramps
- improved access and widened pathway to main entrance
- door entry intercom
- some ramps
- window opening equipment
- kitchen lever taps
- bathroom lever taps
You do not need to meet specific criteria to qualify for a small adaptation, however, if Housing and Property staff have concerns about your need for a small adaptation, your request may be refused or referred to Social Work staff for a full, professional assessment.
Please note: if you have more complex needs (e.g. for children, or if you require several adaptations, or have a more serious disability or medical condition), you are likely to require a full assessment for adaptations, to ensure that you receive the adaptations that best meet your needs. In this situation, your case will be referred to Social Work staff who will arrange for a full assessment to take place.
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Are you eligible for a self assessed level access shower, if you are a Council tenant?
Level access showers are showers which are easily accessible for some people with a disability. If you meet certain eligibility criteria, you may qualify for a level access shower without the need for a full Social Work assessment. You can see the eligibility criteria you need to meet on this form.
Please note that this self assessment process only applies to level access showers on the ground floor. Requests for above ground floor level access showers will require a full Social Work assessment and more detailed investigation.
If you feel you would like to be considered for a level access shower and you meet the eligibility criteria set out on the form, you can either discuss this with staff at your local Housing and Property office, or alternatively complete and print the Self Assessment Form for Level Access Shower and send or take a hardcopy to your local Housing and Property Office.
A member of staff from Housing and Property Services will then be in touch with you to discuss your case.
Please note: whether you are granted a level access shower will also depend on availablity of funding.
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Is there a waiting list for adaptations for Council tenants?
There may be a waiting list to receive a Social Work assessment and/or get your home adapted.
The people with the greatest needs will be given the highest priority, so if you have not been assessed as the highest proprity, you may have to wait longer for an adaptation. Once you have requested an adaptation and your needs and priority have been assessed, you should be given guidance on how long you may have to wait before your adaptation is completed.
Please note: there is limited funding for adaptations and lower priority adaptations may not be funded.
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Do you have to pay for an adaptation if you are a Council tenant?
No. If you are a council tenant, Housing and Property Services will carry out the work for you free of charge.
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If you need significant adaptations to your home in order for you to continue living safely and independently (e.g. an extension for a ground floor bedroom, a gound floor toilet, alterations to kitchen or bathroom), you may be asked to consider alternative solutions to meet your longer term housing needs. This might be an alternative house that might be better suited to you in the longer term. You will of course be fully involved in any discussions.
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Housing Association Tenants
How do you get your home adapted if you are a Housing Association tenant?
Usually you will need to to be assessed for an adaptation in your home. You can contact your local Social Work Service office directly for an assessment. Alternatively you can contact your housing association landlord, who can discuss your case with you and if necessary will pass your details to Social Work Service for an assessment.
Please remember your landlord may have their own arrangements in place to deal with adaptations to your home and if this is the case you should discuss your options with them in the first instance.
If you have had an assessment and an adaptation is suitable and necessary for your home, the details of your Social Work assessment and adaptation requirements will be forwarded to your housing assocaition landlord to carry out the work.
In some cases you may not need an assessment from Social Work and may be able to receive an adaptation directly. This is sometimes the case with small adaptations and level access showers, which are summarised below.
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How can you get a small adaptation, such as a rail, if you are a housing association tenant?
Your housing association landlord may have their own procedures for carrying out adaptations. However, generally small adaptations can be provided directly to you without the need for a Social Work assessment. Examples of small adaptations which might be directly provided to you are:
- hand rails (and other types of rails)
- internal door threshold ramps
- improved access and widened pathway to main entrance
- door entry intercom
- some ramps
- window opening equipment
- kitchen lever taps
- bathroom lever taps
You do not need to meet specific criteria to qualify for a small adaptation, however, if your housing association landlord has concerns about your need for a small adaptation, your request may be refused, or they may refer your case to Social Work staff for a full, professional assessment.
Please note: if you have more complex needs (e.g. for children, or if you require several adaptations, or have a more serious disability or medical condition), you are likely to require a full assessment for adaptations, to ensure that you receive the adaptations that best meet your needs. In this situation, your case will be referred to Social Work staff who will arrange for a full assessment to take place.
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Are you eligible for a self assessed level access shower, if you are a housing assocaition tenant?
Some housing associations offer a self assessment route for level access showers. You should check with your own housing association landlord if this is available to you. If this is available, the following advice might apply.
Level access showers are showers which are easily accessible for some people with a disability. If you meet certain eligibility criteria, you may qualify for a level access shower without the need for a full Social Work assessment. You can see the eligibility criteria you need to meet on this form.
Please note that this self assessment process only applies to ground floor level access showers. Requests for above ground floor level access showers will require a full Social Work assessment and more detailed investigation.
If you feel you would like to be considered for a level access shower and you meet the eligibility criteria set out on the form, you can either discuss this with your housing association landlord, or alternatively print the form, complete it, and send or take a harcopy of the form to your local housing association office.
A member of staff from your housing association landlord will then be in touch with you to discuss your case.
Please note: whether you are granted a level access showers will also depend on availablity of funding.
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Is there a waiting list for adaptations for housing association tenants?
There may be a waiting list to receive a Social Work assessment and/or get your home adapted.
The people with the greatest needs will be given the highest priority, so if you have not been assessed as the highest proprity, you may have to wait longer for an adaptation. Once you have requested an adaptation and your needs and priority have been assessed, you should be given guidance on how long you may have to wait before your adaptation is completed.
Please note: there is limited funding for adaptations and lower priority adaptations may not be funded.
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Do you have to pay for an adaptation if you are a housing association tenant?
Generally you will not have to pay for an adaptation to your home. However, this is something that you should discuss with your own housing association landlord. Sometimes, where an adaptation has led to significant home improvements, your housing association landlord may increase your rent to reflect this. However, if this affects you, this will be fully discussed with you as part of the adaptations process.
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How do you get your home adapted if you are an owner occupier or private tenant?
If you are an owner occupier or private tenant, you can get assistance with adaptations through the Highland Council Scheme of Assistance.
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