Equipping your home
If you find that you may need to adapt or equip your home to make things easier for you, support is available.
Suffolk County Council has a range of information, guidance and services that may be helpful: equipment at home, using technologies and adapting your home. In addition, Ipswich Borough Council provides a 24 hour monitoring and responding service (HEARS) covering Ipswich and surrounding towns and villages.
The NHS Community Equipment service provides patients with equipment (such as hoists, grab rails or loan of a hospital bed) so that they can be independent for longer.
If you are returning home after a stay in hospital, the Care Co-ordination Centre may be able to provide equipment if required: please ask the ward team for assistance or contact the John Le Vay Cancer Support and Information Centre. In addition, Stepping Home and the Red Cross may be able to provide support to help with equipment or adaptations during the first few weeks.
Suffolk County Council: Equipment at home
There are many simple pieces of equipment that may help you to stay as independent, comfortable and safe as possible in your own home, such as:
Preparing and cooking food: Kettle tippers and lightweight kettles. Bottle, jar and tin openers. Utensils with large, long, weighted or curved grips
Getting dressed: Button hookers, dressing sticks and zip pullers. Aids to help you put on your socks and stockings. Long-handled shoe horns to make it easier to get your shoes on and off
Washing and cleaning: Tap turners, lever taps and automatic taps can help if you have problems with your grip. Bath board, bath seat or bath lift can make it easier and safer to use the bath. Shower boards and swivel seats to help you get in and out of the bath
Using the toilet: Raised toilet seats and toilet rails can make it easier to get on or off the toilet. Long handed bottom wipers can help you clean yourself after going to the toilet. Waterproof bedding and mattresses can help manage incontinence
To find out how to purchase or apply for an assessment of need follow this link:
Suffolk County Council: Equipment to help you stay independent
Suffolk County Council, Technology to help at home
Techology, especially when internet-connected, can provide a lifeline for many people. For example:
alarms can alert others if you might need help
allowing you to control your home environment
keeping you connected to friends, family and your community
Suffolk County Council: Technology to help you live independently
Suffolk County Council, Adapting your home
You may wish to consider making some adaptations to your home such as adding grab rails or more. The website below includes a link to an online assessment (AskSARA) to help you identify what adaptations might be most suitable based on your personal circumstances.
Suffolk County Council: Adapting your home to work for you
Further information on home adaptations is available from District Council websites:
East Suffolk - Adaptations and Independent Living
Mid-Suffolk - Minor Adaptations and Disabled Facility Grants
Ipswich Borough Council, Home Emergency Alarm Response Service (HEARS)
This service offers support to people who want to feel more confident about living in their own homes with the assistance of an experienced team of first aid trained Responders. The team supplies a mobile button which can be worn as a neck pendant or on a wrist strap. It is linked to an alarm unit connected through a telephone socket to the Control Team based in Ipswich.
NHS Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services
These two service provides patients with specialist equipment (such as hoists, grab rails, loan of a hospital bed or wheelchair) so that they can be independent for longer. NHS clinicians carry out assessments of people's individual needs in their home environment.
Tel: 01473 351805 to discuss options or to arrange return of items.
You will be given a list of options:
Option 1 - Community Equipment Service (provided by Medequip)
Option 2 - Wheelchair Service (only if a wheelchair is required for over 6 months), followed by
Option 1 - Approved Repairer Service or option 2 - Clinical wheelchair Service
Red Cross: Wheelchair loan/hire service
To discuss requirements and arrange for a wheelchair loan/ hire, a family member or carer should contact the Red Cross service on the number below. The wheelchair will be couriered to the patient’s home address.
Tel: 0300 456 1914
Stepping Home: Returning home after a stay in hospital
Stepping Home, an initiative between East Suffolk & North Essex NHS Foundation Trust and district councils in Suffolk (excluding Waveney) with the aims of preventing hospital admissions, removing barriers complicating hospital discharge, and enabling independence.
Red Cross: Returning home after a stay in hospital
If you are returning home from hospital, Red Cross can provide a range of help and assistance for up to 12 weeks depending on the level of support required. Please see the Red Cross website for further details.
Tel: 0345 054 7171, e-mail: admincentral@redcross.org.uk
Warm Homes Healthy People: keeping warm in winter
Contact Warm Homes Healthy People for support about keeping warm in winter and help for older people with accessing winter fuel payments.
Suffolk's Warm Homes Healthy People is a project designed to help vulnerable people and families make their homes cheaper to heat.
Tel: 03456 037 686 or e=mail: whhp@eastsuffolk.gov.uk
Additionally, the team assist people with applications for the Home Upgrade Grant scheme for owner occupiers or private renters. This scheme is for low income households have no mains gas central heating. The fund assists with insulation and heating measures that can improve the warmth and energy efficiency of the property. People can send an enquiry through this link, and a member of the team will get in touch to discuss eligibility criteria and the application process.
For further information please follow this link to a page on the Suffolk County Council website and view the video below: