What are equipment and adaptations?

Adaptations

If you are a disabled person, an adaptation to your home can help to give you more freedom, and make it easier to access facilities within it. Adaptations usually mean structural changes are needed to your home such as:

• Replacing a bath with a walk in shower or fitting an over-bath shower.
• Adapting your home for wheelchair use (e.g. widening doors, installing a ramp).

Equipment

Special adaptive equipment can be provided which does not need fitting. This can include walking aids or cutlery.

You might also benefit from electronic equipment, for example sensors that can detect when a person has fallen. This type of  assistive technology is provided by our Telecare Service.

How do I get equipment and adaptations?

To receive special equipment and minor or major adaptations to your home:

• you must be permanently resident in Sandwell, and
• you must either have a permanent and substantial physical disability OR the equipment must be needed as part of a rehabilitation treatment package, and
• you must be experiencing difficulty using the existing main facilities of your home because of your disability.

Some examples of experiencing difficulty include not being able to use your stairs anymore, or your bath or shower without assistance.

A referral pack is available from our occupational therapy offices or from your local Adults Team or Neighbourhood Office. We can help you to fill in the forms and can provide an interpreter to help us to talk with you if needed.

What happens next?

If you do qualify on all three of the above categories, and once your application has been received by Sandwell's Equipment and Adaptation Service, the application will then be prioritised for assessment.

You can get more detailed information on the stages of an application by viewing our page on qualifying for equipment and adaptations.

Who provides equipment and adaptations?

Sandwell's Equipment and Adaptations Service

Home Loan Equipment Centre
Unit 22 Crystal Drive
Smethwick
West Midlands
B66 1QG
Tel: 0121 569 3666
Fax: 0121 544 7819
 
Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm, Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm

Telecare Service for electronic assistive technology.

Sandwell Independent Living Centre (Ideal For All)
You can contact this service directly for further information.

Is there a charge for the service?

Equipment is loaned free of charge. If adaptations are needed, a financial assessment will be made to identify the contribution, if any, that social care services will make towards the cost of the work.