Where possible, we can provide equipment and adaptations to help you live independently in your own home without the need to move.
If you live in East Ayrshire and either you or a member of your family has a disability we may be able to help you by:
- providing special equipment to help you with daily living
- adapting your present home
Assessments are undertaken by occupational therapists for a wide range of aids to assist with daily living. These may be simple fixtures like grab rails or much more wide-ranging changes like installing a stair-lift, all designed to make life easier and enable people to live independently within their home.
An occupational therapist can visit you at home to assess your needs and find out what would help you to carry out everyday tasks.
Assessment
Social Work Services have guidelines to determine the level of services people receive and how quickly they get them.
If you need vital equipment, adaptations or personal support, arrangements will be made for you to work with an occupational therapist as soon as possible.
We will visit you at home to carry out an assessment of your needs, looking at any practical difficulties you have and work with you to assess what you need and help where we can. You may be asked to demonstrate the nature of some of your problems so that we can fully appreciate them, like getting upstairs, or in and out of the bath. We also take your medical conditions into consideration.
What does the assessment involve?
A member of staff will visit you at home and discuss any difficulties you are having. These difficulties may involve:
- access in and round your home and/or local community
- mobility, including problems with steps or stairs
- personal care tasks including bathing and toileting
- domestic tasks including cooking
- getting on or off your chair/toilet/bed
- maximising your income
What happens next?
We will provide you with advice, equipment and adaptations to help you live as independently as possible within your own home. This information and advice is free.
Equipment
We supply equipment on long term loan, free of charge. When you no longer need the equipment please contact us and we will arrange for it to be collected and used elsewhere.
Examples of equipment provided by East Ayrshire Council Social Work services:
- assistance getting on and off the toilet, such as a raised toilet seat, a toilet frame or grab rails
- assistance getting in and out of a chair, such as chair raisers or specialist cushions
- assistance getting in and out of bed, such as bed raisers, pillow and mattress lifts and rails
- assistance getting in and out of bath, such as bath boards, bath seats, bath lifts and grab rails
Visit from the Equipment Stores Technician
If you have provided us with your telephone contact details (mobile or landline), and have given us permission to do so, we will send you a text message from 'EAC STORES' advising when a Technician from the Equipment Stores will visit.
We will never ask for payment for equipment deliveries.
Should you need to reschedule the visit please call the Equipment Stores on 01563 576796.
The Equipment Stores is open from 8:30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. You can also leave a message out with these hours.
Low cost and minor adaptations
Low cost and minor adaptations, such as grab rails or handrails will usually be provided free of charge.
Major adaptations
If we are considering a major adaptation we will advise you of our decision and what will happen next.
If you own your own home, or if your home is privately rented, there may be grants available to help you with major adaptations and your occupational therapist will be able to provide more information on the grant process. Equipment and adaptations can be installed in privately owned or privately rented housing. Grant assistance is available at a minimum level of 80% of the cost of adaptation works.
For further information please contact your local Social Work office.