Aids available to help you around the house

[Drew Saunders]

I was told by a friend that I could apply to my local Council to see if there was anything they could advise me re aids in the home.
A very nice Occupational Therapist came yesterday to assess me. After 20 minutes or so seeing me go up/down stairs, in/out the bath and in/out of bed the following has been recommended. Extra handrail on stair wall. A swivelling seat with arms across the bath (anchored to the wall) so that I can shower safely, a frame round the toilet with arms and a gizmo by the bed to help me in and out.
All above to be fitted within a week. I was amazed. What was even more amazing is that it is all free of charge.
There is not enough information advertised about such things. I only found out about DLA by a comment someone made.
There is help out there - finding out about it may just take awhile.
If anyone else has knowledge of such information please share this with us. Every little helps!
www.direct.gov (http://www.direct.gov) is one site I know of although trawling through all the info can seem a little daunting.

[grldnklly]

Hi Drew,
I agree with you, this service is not advertised enough. I was very fortunate that a friend of mine who is a social worker told me all about it. Here in Northern Ireland to avail of the service you contact your local Social Work office and they get the ball rolling.
Since my father has been diagnosed with parkinsons we have lived in two health trust areas (we moved 2 years ago to a bungalow beside my brothers) and I have found both teams to be great. It is amazing the simple ideas/gadgets they can recommend which help make life so much easier. They are all for nothing.
My father has got most of the gadgets that you have got and a few extra. In moving into the bungalow I got the bath taken out and a double shower put in. I paid for this myself, but if I had been willing to wait it would have been paid for me. The occupational therapist provided my father with a special shower seat which means he doesn't have to stand the whole time he is being showered (this was free).
They also put rails outside the house (along the garden and steps) and put a new step in at the back of the house to make it safer for my father coming in and out of the house. They provide a special bracket to hold the kettle so that it doesn't have to be lifted to be poured. This makes it a lot safer for my father to make himself a cup of tea or coffee in his good times. Come to think of it there are a lot of things that have been provided by the health trust.
I think it might be a good idea to take photos and put them on the forum and that way we can pool our ideas.
God bless
Geraldine

[Drew Saunders]

Hi Drew,
I agree with you, this service is not advertised enough. I was very fortunate that a friend of mine who is a social worker told me all about it. Here in Northern Ireland to avail of the service you contact your local Social Work office and they get the ball rolling.
Since my father has been diagnosed with parkinsons we have lived in two health trust areas (we moved 2 years ago to a bungalow beside my brothers) and I have found both teams to be great. It is amazing the simple ideas/gadgets they can recommend which help make life so much easier. They are all for nothing.
My father has got most of the gadgets that you have got and a few extra. In moving into the bungalow I got the bath taken out and a double shower put in. I paid for this myself, but if I had been willing to wait it would have been paid for me. The occupational therapist provided my father with a special shower seat which means he doesn't have to stand the whole time he is being showered (this was free).
They also put rails outside the house (along the garden and steps) and put a new step in at the back of the house to make it safer for my father coming in and out of the house. They provide a special bracket to hold the kettle so that it doesn't have to be lifted to be poured. This makes it a lot safer for my father to make himself a cup of tea or coffee in his good times. Come to think of it there are a lot of things that have been provided by the health trust.
I think it might be a good idea to take photos and put them on the forum and that way we can pool our ideas.
God bless
Geraldine

Great idea. As soon as they are installed I will do the business. Have a good day.