Equipment & Adaptations
What are Community Equipment and Adaptations?
Equipment and adaptations support people with a wide range of care needs, helping them to live as independently as possible in their own homes. They include:
- Bathing, feeding and walking equipment
- Minor adaptations to the home such as grab rails and temporary ramps
- Major adaptations including door widening for wheelchair access, lowering worktops, bathroom alterations and purpose built extensions.
Why do these services matter?
The Joint Future Group recognised the significant impact that equipment and adaptations can have on the lives of disabled and older people, and acknowledged that current organisation and management of these services is not delivering the modern effective services wanted.
The Strategy Forum: Equipment and Adaptations was set up to establish a much needed sense of direction for equipment and adaptation services. A wide range of interests were represented on the Forum.
How can we make improvements?
The Strategy Forum report, 'Equipped for Inclusion' represents advice to the Scottish Executive and highlights the shortcomings of existing arrangements [chapter 1] across health, housing, education and social care, and makes recommendations for the development of a lifelong approach based on the principles of social justice and equality. This is outlined within four key areas:
- equipment and adaptations as part of everyday life [chapter 2]
- extending and sharing knowledge [chapter 3]
- a joint future [chapter 4]
- assuring quality and innovation [chapter 5]
When will the changes be implemented?
An Implementation Steering Group is being formed to take forward the recommendations of the Strategy Forum. This Group will include people who use these services and their carers.
Following Spending Review 2004 and additional £5 million is being made available for 2005-06 to support improvements in equipment and adaptation service delivery, choice and quality.