Tackling falls and fractures in older adults
Read more
Adaptations like grab rails, ramps, stair lifts etc can be life savers for older people but organising and paying for them is not always straightforward. Luckily, when someone is elderly or disabled, there is support available to provide financial or practical help for home improvements.
Your (or your parents’) Local Authority Adult Social Care department will be able to help and you might also be able to get help from a local Home Improvement Agency. Your local authority might also award a Disabled Facilities Grant.
Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs) are local, trusted organisations that help older, disabled and vulnerable people to live a good life for longer. They are usually “not-for-profit” organisations run by housing associations, local authorities and charities.
HIAs offer reliable information and advice and support people to make home improvements or modifications as their health and needs change, especially in later life. These adaptations can be instrumental in helping older people continue to live at home.
HIAs vary across the country. There are nearly 200 HIAs in England, sometimes known as Care & Repair or Staying Put schemes. They are often linked to local authorities. The majority (82%) of areas have one.
The scope of support varies between HIAs, but can include:
This video will give you a flavour of what can be done although it is key to appreciate that the HIA offer varies between providers. However, even if the HIA near you (your parent/s) does not offer a service they might be able to signpost you to something appropriate. Some HIA services are means tested or prioritised according to levels of vulnerability.
A disabled facilities grant is available from your local authority for work that is essential to help a disabled person live an independent life. The level of financial support is likely to be means tested.
The grant can cover home modifications which help to make it easier or safer for you to:
The grant can also cover essential work to:
This video will give you a flavour of the disabled facilities grant and how it can be used:
It saved me struggling with a screwdriver.
I wish I had known about this earlier!
Sign up to our newsletter and get access to all of our helpful tools and resources to support you and your parents on your carenting journey
June 2021, updated April 2023
Did you find this helpful? Let us know what you thought of this checklist or pass on some advice to other carents by emailing us at [email protected]
Sign up for our newsletter - essential tips, updates and more directly to your inbox
Sign up hereThis website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More
Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
wpl_user_preference | carents.co.uk | WP GDPR Cookie Consent Preferences. | 1 year | HTTP |
Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
_gid | carents.co.uk | Google Universal Analytics short-time unique user tracking identifier. | 1 days | HTTP |
_ga | carents.co.uk | Google Universal Analytics long-time unique user tracking identifier. | 2 years | HTTP |
Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
__cf_bm | hsforms.net | Generic CloudFlare functional cookie. | Session | HTTP |
Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
_gat_UA-177634583-1 | carents.co.uk | --- | Session | --- |
__stid | sharethis.com | --- | 1 year | --- |
cf_clearance | carents.co.uk | --- | 1 year | --- |
_ga_CYDEH078RL | carents.co.uk | --- | 2 years | --- |
_ga_577HPZSLX1 | carents.co.uk | --- | 2 years | --- |
_cfuvid | hubspot.com | --- | 54 years | --- |