A Brief Guide to Disabled Facility Grants
“Adopting a one‐stop shop approach. In many areas it may be possible to channel all enquiries or referrals through a single point of access. This will often be the case where a HIA has been given the role of leading delivery of adaptations, but it may also be relevant within a local authority. This requires the provision of good quality information about the service for potential service users and relevant agencies and clear briefing of multi‐ agency staff involved in receiving enquiries or visiting people in their homes. “
A Brief Guide to Disabled Facility Grants
Demand for Adaptations
It is suggested that the number of people aged 65 or over will increase by 23% by 2019, growing to 56% by 2031.
The number of older people with disabilities is predicted to rise too and will increase the proportion which will need work carried out to their homes to remain living independently.
Demand for adaptations has increased due to changes in social policy and medical advances. These have allowed people of all ages, with varying levels of disabilities and complex needs, to lead more independent lives in the community.
Many children with serious genetic medical conditions are being treated more effectively and are therefore living longer into adulthood, which can mean that families need to adapt their homes more than once as the child becomes an adult and their requirements change.
What to look out for?
Know Your User:
For these purposes a person is disabled if…
• Their sight, hearing or speech is substantially impaired;
• They have a mental disorder or impairment of any kind; or
• They are physically substantially disabled by illness, injury, impairment present since birth, or otherwise.
Establishing Urgency:
Where a request or need for an adaptation is identified, the agreed criteria for assessing adaptation needs should be categorised as…
• Urgent (eg. where a service user is unable to return home from hospital or utilise essential facilities within the home without the adaptation) and
• Non-Urgent (where a service user is unable to utilise the home fully but is able to use toilet and personal hygiene facilities within the home).
Request a Consultation:
When choosing adaptation equipment speaking to external advisers and equipment providers can offer insight to how different features can benefit and suit different users needs.
OpeMed provide product demonstrations and free consultations designed to help and assist DFG assessments.
OpeMed – Solutions for Transfer and Care
Contact OpeMed on 01252 758 858 or visit www.opemed.net to arrange a consultation.
Source: Delivering Housing Adaptations for Disabled People – A DETAILED GUIDE TO RELATED LEGISLATION, GUIDANCE AND GOOD PRACTICE, Home Adaptations Consortium – Published 2013