Adaptations, improvements and repairs to the home

If you, or someone you know, has dementia, it may be useful to make some adaptations, improvements or repairs to the home. These could simply help to make life easier, or could make it possible for the person to remain at home for longer. This factsheet suggests where to go for advice and provides details of the grants that may be available.

Adaptations

Some people with dementia have difficulty moving around the home or managing daily activities, such as getting in or out of the bath. Adaptations to the home range from putting up handrails and grab rails, to adding ramps or wide doors for wheelchairs, or installing specially designed shower and toilet facilities.

Initially, an occupational therapist (OT) will visit the home to assess the situation. This is called an occupational therapy assessment. They can advise on whether or not a particular adaptation may be helpful to meet the person's individual needs. The OT can arrange minor adaptations, such as handrails, through social services. Community equipment, aids and minor adaptations that assist with living at home or aiding daily living and cost under £1,000 should be provided free of charge in England. However, your local authority will have criteria for eligibility on the provision of aids and adaptations that need to be met.

If major adaptations are needed, the OT will explain what steps to take. Grants towards the cost may be available in some cases.

You can contact an OT through the social services department of your local authority. Anyone with a diagnosis of dementia is entitled to an assessment but there may be a wait. An assessment is also usually required if you are applying for a grant from the local authority to help meet the cost of any adaptation due to disability. Carers can also ask the local authority for an independent assessment of their needs under the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000. These needs may include adaptations to help them to provide care.

If the wait for an assessment or for adaptations to be carried out is longer than seems reasonable, and you cannot sort it out, you can use the social services' complaints procedure. Social services will explain how to do this.

Improvements and repairs

Improvements or repairs could include draught-proofing, rewiring, or improving heating systems. They may help the person with dementia to remain at home.

Grants and assistance available from local authorities

The following support may be available from your local authority:

Disabled facilities grants

Mandatory disabled facilities grants are designed to help meet the cost of adapting a property for the needs of a disabled person. These can be awarded for:

• improving a disabled person's access to and from their home
• making the home safe for a disabled occupant and anyone else living with them
• improving a disabled person's access to the main family room in their home
• improving a disabled person's access to their bedroom, or providing a new bedroom
• improving a disabled person's access to the bathroom, or providing a new bathroom, and making it easier for the person to use the facilities
• making it easier for the disabled person to prepare and cook food
• improving the heating system, or providing a suitable new heating system
• making it easier for the person to move around the home to enable them to care for someone dependent on them, who also lives there
• improving or moving controls for heating, lighting and plug sockets.

Disabled facilities grants are means tested. The means test is applied to the person with disabilities and their partner, if they have one, even if the disabled person is not the applicant for the grant. If the disabled person is a child or young person, the means test is applied to the parent(s) or person who has responsibility for their care.

Disabled facilities grants are generally administered by the local housing authority rather than the social services department, although this may vary across different authorities. An application form should be available from the grants department of your local authority offices.

Discretionary powers to assist with housing repairs, adaptations and improvements

Legislation introduced in July 2003 brought about changes in local authorities' powers to provide assistance with housing repairs, adaptations and improvements. Local housing authorities now have wide discretionary powers to provide these types of assistance. They have the power to set their own conditions for assistance, such as whether to perform a means test, and to set the circumstances under which financial assistance should be repaid. Assistance can be given in the form of a grant, a loan, labour, materials, advice, or any combination of these. Local authorities may also take security, including a charge on a person's home.

Local authorities can help owner-occupiers, tenants or landlords. They must have a published policy setting out the type of assistance they are willing to provide and under what circumstances. If you are interested, ask your local authority for a copy of its policy.

Grants for keeping the home warm

Keeping the home warm is important. Older people tend to feel the cold more easily, as do people with dementia who have become less active. Local authority grants may be available (see above) or you may be able to receive a grant through one of the following government-funded schemes.

In England

Under the Warm Front scheme, help towards improvements in insulation, room heating and water heating is available to people who receive a qualifying benefit. Warm Front provides a package of installing insulation and improving heating worth up to £3,500.

People aged 60 or over who receive income support, pension credit, housing benefit, income-based jobseekers allowance or council tax benefit may be eligible for a Warm Front grant.

People under 60 who are receiving certain benefits may also be eligible for the Warm Front scheme, contact Warm Front for details (see 'Useful organisations').

If you do not qualify for the Warm Front grant, you may be able to get a £300 rebate towards the cost of repairing your heating system or installing new central heating if you do not have it. You must be over 60 and own or privately rent your home.

In Wales

The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) Plus can provide a package of heating and insulation improvements up to the value of £3,600. People over 60 may be eligible if they receive income support, housing benefit, state pension credit, council tax benefit, income-based jobseekers allowance or income-related employment and support allowance. People who are disabled or chronically ill may also be eligible if they receive certain benefits.

People aged over 80 automatically qualify for HEES Plus in Wales.

If you are 60 or over and own your own home, you may be able to claim up to £500 towards the cost of improvements to make your home more energy efficient. You do not need to receive any benefits to qualify.

In Northern Ireland

The Warm Homes scheme offers grants of up to £850 towards insulation and heating improvements for people who receive a qualifying benefit. Some people who apply for the Warm Homes scheme will be identified as needing extra help through Warm Homes Plus. They may be able to receive measures up to the value of £4,300 to pay for improvements such as a new central heating system if they do not have one, or the conversion of an existing system.

Other sources of funding

There are a range of other sources of funding, for which you may be eligible.

Social fund

You may be eligible for a community care grant from the social fund to help with the cost of minor repairs or improvements if you are receiving income support, income-based job seeker's allowance or pension credit.
Contact the social fund at your local Jobcentre Plus office (previously the Benefits Agency).

Charities

Some charities or trusts may offer help towards the cost of minor adaptations or repairs. Ask at your local library, advice centre or Citizens Advice Bureau or other local agency, such as a housing advice agency, or contact Charity Search (see 'Useful organisations' at the end of this factsheet).

For details of Alzheimer's Society services in your area, visit alzheimers.org.uk/localinfo
For information about a wide range of dementia-related topics, visit alzheimers.org.uk/factsheets

Useful organisations

Age UK

York House
207-221 Pentonville Road
London N1 9UZ
T 0800 169 8787 (general enquiries)
  0800 169 6565 (advice line)
E contact@ageuk.org.uk
W www.ageuk.org.uk

Provides information and advice for older people in the UK. Produces a booklet on Adapting your home. Age UK has been created by the merger of Age Concern and Help the Aged.

Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE)

70 South Lambeth Road
London SW8 1RL
T 020 7840 0125
E info@cae.org.uk
W www.cae.org.uk

Provides information and advice on inclusive building design for people with disabilities.

Charity Search

Freepost (BS 6610)
Avonmouth
Bristol BS11 9TW
T 0117 982 4060
E info@charitysearch.org.uk
W www.charitysearch.org.uk

National charity that signposts older people in financial need to support available from a range of charitable sources.

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

Various locations
W www.citizensadvice.org.uk
www.adviceguide.org.uk

Your local CAB can provide information and advice in confidence or point you in the right direction. To find your nearest CAB look in the phone book, ask at your local library or look on the citizens advice website (above). Opening times vary.

DIAL UK (Disability Information and Advice Line)

St Catherine's
Tickhill Road
Doncaster DN4 8QN
T 01302 310123
E enquiries@dialuk.org.uk
W www.dialuk.org.uk

Network of over 120 local groups throughout the UK providing information on a range of issues connected with disability, including equipment. DIAL centres are run by people with personal experience of disability, and most advice workers are volunteers.

Grants for keeping the home warm

England

Warm Front
T 0800 316 2805
E enquiry@eaga.com
W www.warmfront.co.uk

Provides a package of heating and insulation improvements to those who are eligible. You can apply by phone or online. The scheme is funded by the government and managed by Eaga.

Wales

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES)
T 0800 316 2815
W www.heeswales.co.uk

Provides a package of heating and insulation improvements. HEES is a Welsh Assembly Government scheme and is managed by Eaga.

Northern Ireland

Warm Homes
T 0800 988 0559
E via the website, below
W www.warm-homes.com

Provides heating and insulation improvements to those who qualify. You can apply by phone or online. Warm Homes is funded by the Department for Social Development and delivered by Bryson Charitable Group and H&A Mechanical Services.

Home Improvement Agencies

Home improvement agencies, also known by names such as Care and Repair or Staying Put, offer free advice and information to older and disabled homeowners who want to stay in their own homes but may need specialist equipment or adaptations in order to do so. There are over 200 home improvement agencies at present. To find out if there is one within your local authority, contact the following organisations:

England

Foundations
T 08458 645210
E foundations@cel.co.uk
W www.foundations.uk.com

Wales

Care and Repair Cymru
T 029 2057 6286
E enquiries@careandrepair.org.uk
W www.careandrepair.org.uk

Northern Ireland

Staying Put Department
Fold Housing Trust
T 028 9042 8314
E stayingput@foldgroup.co.uk
W www.foldgroup.co.uk

Factsheet 428

Last updated: September 2010
Last reviewed: September 2010

Reviewed by: College of Occupational Therapists