Equipment, adaptation and sensory impairment service
The equipment, adaptation and sensory impairment service provide assistance to people with physical and/or sensory disabilities. We help people make the most of their abilities to remain as independent as possible in their own homes. We provide advice and information, assistance with obtaining specialist equipment, assistance with adaptations to the home, advice regarding moving and handling, mobility training for people with visual impairment.
The service includes:
- The equipment and adaptations assessment team
- The sensory impairment team
If you’re struggling to manage everyday tasks because of an illness or long-term medical condition, we can offer advice about your home to help you remain independent.
What can we help with?
We can give you or your carer advice on:
- Better ways of doing everyday tasks around your home
- Safer moving/handling methods in case you need physically lifting in and out of a chair or bed
We can also provide equipment and make adaptations to your home if needed, such as:
- A raised toilet seat to help you sit and stand from the toilet more easily
- A seat inside your bath to help you to get in and out safely
- Fitting a grab rail to a wall, a second handrail to the staircase, or even a stair lift, ramp or shower
We’re unable to accept a referral for a child where the main reason is to assess safer sleep arrangements, or to evaluate the home environment risks associated with a child’s behavioural needs.
How do I refer to the service?
If you need help with equipment or home adaptations you can:
- Request an assessment by filling in the online form: Request an equipment and adaptations assessment
- Call us on 01226 775800
- Ask a professional to contact us on your behalf
- Contact us by text on 07825 454888 if you’re a BSL user
When you contact us we’ll ask you for details about yourself, your home and the difficulties you’re having.
How we will assess your needs
We’ll assess your level of need before we provide any support. This helps us to prioritise support for people who have the greatest risk to their health, safety and independence.
Usually we’ll arrange to visit you to talk to you and your carers about the problems you’re having. We may ask you to show us how you carry out practical tasks so we can see exactly what you’re struggling with.
In some cases, where you just need a basic piece of equipment, we may be able to arrange this without visiting you at home.
Getting the right support
Your personal circumstances will determine the way you can access support.
If you need basic equipment such as a commode, bed pan, urinal or bed cradle, you won’t need a specialist assessment. You can call the Community Equipment Service on 01226 645400 and they’ll deliver the equipment to your home. If you prefer, you can collect it from Unit 33, Grange Lane Industrial Park, Stairfoot, Barnsley, S71 5AS.
For more specialist equipment, such as a bath lift or hoist, you’ll need to get a social care assessment. If your assessment shows you qualify for equipment, it’ll be loaned to you free of charge for as long as you need it.
Other professionals involved in your care, such as a nurse or physiotherapist, can also order some pieces of equipment for you. If you get a personal budget you may be able to use some of this money to buy your own equipment.
If you rent your home
If you’re a Berneslai Homes tenant you can ask them directly for minor adaptations like a grab rail, second stair rail or lever taps. They may also meet the cost of major alterations. They’ll ask for an assessment from us to assess your health and mobility first. Find out about applying for minor and major adaptations to Berneslai Homes properties.
If you’re a housing association tenant, contact them first to ask for minor adaptations. They’re usually responsible for assistance with this type of work.
Help with major alterations
If you’re a homeowner, housing association tenant or you privately rent your home, you may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). This grant can help with major structural alterations to your home. Contact us to see whether you may be eligible for this grant.
If you’re eligible for assistance the DFG team will refer you to an approved supplier who can carry out the work. It’s important if you do apply for this grant that you don’t start any work before your application has been approved. Payment cannot be made for any work that’s already been started.
If we can’t adapt your home
If we can’t adapt your home we can offer you advice and help to find and move to another property. We’ll also refer you to other services that may be able to offer you additional advice or support.