Aids and adaptations

Your home, your independence

We want to support you to live independently. We have a dedicated Aids and Adaptations Team who will work with you to make changes in your property, or look at other options, to maintain or improve your independence. We will work closely with South Gloucestershire Council’s Occupational Therapy Team to ensure the best service for you.

Are you an existing resident?

If you think an aid or an adaptation could help you keep your independence, you can fill out a self assessment form and send it to our aids and adaptations team at a&areferrals@merlinhs.co.uk  Once you’ve completed this and sent it to us, we may arrange for one of our staff to visit you to carry out a more in depth assessment. Or we may ask the Council whether you’re eligible for an occupational therapy assessment. Either way, we’ll keep you informed with what happens next. If you are unable to complete the form, we’d be happy to help you do it over the phone.

Are you going to be moving in to one of our properties?

If you’ve told us on your housing application form that you have specific needs, a member of our team will go with you to view the property. They will consult with you and your housing officer to work out what adaptations the property may need. We’ll tell you what work we’ll be carrying out and when, and if necessary liaise with the Council about your eligibility for larger adaptations.

Aids and adaptations - what are they?

Adaptations come in two types - minor and major.
A minor adaptation is an alteration to your home that costs less than £1,000,
like:
• Grab or hand rails to help you get around your home
• Ramps to improve access
• Over bath showers to help you manage your personal care
These are the sorts of things that we can do ourselves.

A major adaptation costs more (generally over £1,000) and needs to be managed by the Council.
These could be things like:
• Wet rooms to help you manage personal care
• Stair lifts

If you’re eligible for a minor adaptation, we’ll cover the costs. If your property needs a major adaptation, our colleagues at the Council will lead in the process. They will assess your eligibility for a grant to cover the cost of the work.
In some cases, its not always necessary to carry out an adaptation to your home. An assessment from the Council could result in an offer of an aid.

These are things like:
• Raisers to help you get in and out of bed or your chair
• Bath boards or chairs, or shower chairs to help you manage personal care
• Remote door openers
• Hearing equipment

Very rarely, your home or the property you want to move in to won’t be able to be adapted to your needs. If this happens, we’ll support you to find a more suitable property if that meets your needs.

Find out more

If you would like more information, feel you are unable to manage independently in your home or that you need an assessment to be carried out, call our dedicated Aids and Adaptations phone number 01454 821032.