Guide
Which equipment is worth having at home?
The right equipment makes home safer and daily life easier. The wrong equipment wastes money, and too much too soon can mean someone does less for themselves. Start with what they are struggling with, not a catalogue. Many aids are free from the council after a needs assessment.
Common equipment, by what it helps with
- Getting up
- Chair and bed raisers, a bed lever, a riser recliner.
- The bathroom
- Grab rails, a raised toilet seat, a shower seat or bath board, a bath lift.
- Walking
- A stick or frame of the right height, used the right way.
- Stairs
- A second banister rail first, and a stairlift only if that isn’t enough.
- The kitchen
- A perching stool, and a trolley for carrying things.
- Safety
- A personal alarm they will actually wear, and good lighting at night.
How to get it
- From the council
- Ask for a needs assessment. It is free, and aids and minor adaptations costing up to £1,000 must be provided free when the council assesses a need for them. The wait can be long.
- Bigger changes
- A Disabled Facilities Grant can help pay for a stairlift, a level-access shower or a ramp. It is means-tested.
- Buying it yourself
- Quicker, but check it suits the person and the house first. For a short-term need, hiring can make more sense than buying.
How we can help
We look at what they are struggling with in their own home, then tell you which equipment is worth having, which isn’t, and where to get it, including what the council should provide and how to ask. We don’t sell equipment, so the advice is independent.
The assessment is £140, and it starts with a free consultation call.