However, it can be pretty tough to anticipate what the best alterations to make might be and how you would go about funding them.
Home Assessment
Each individual person with cerebral palsy experiences the condition in a unique way, so there is no ‘one size fits all’ set of home improvements that will benefit everyone.The best thing to do in the first instance is to speak to them and create a list of the things they need to do on a daily or a weekly basis, and whether they are experiencing any difficulty with these tasks.
Once you have an understanding of this, you can contact an occupational therapist to carry out a home assessment. An occupational therapist will be able to carry out an assessment based on what you tell them, combined with their professional knowledge, and make suggestions for the best improvements that you can make.
An occupational therapist will be able to suggest technologies and methods that you may not have heard of, so it’s highly valuable to engage with them. Generally, to see an occupational therapist, you will need to be referred via your GP. However, it can also be worth contacting your local council to see if they can suggest any services that you can access specific to your area.
Funding
Making improvements to your home probably isn’t going to be cheap, but there are some ways that you can go about raising the money.One option is to apply for a disability grant to help you cover the cost. There are approximately 210 home improvement agencies in the UK, all of whom are not for profit. You can access their services through Foundations, the national body for home improvements in England.
Foundations will offer a free initial consultation, which you can use to ascertain whether or not you and your family are eligible for funding. After the initial consultation, they do charge for their services.
It’s also well worth getting advice from cerebral palsy solicitors. If the condition was caused by medical malpractice, you might be entitled to compensation to assist you with healthcare and other costs.
Rented Homes
If you live in a rental property, your landlord is obliged to provide ‘auxiliary aids and services’ to make the property suitable for you to live in.This includes things like:
● Making changes to furniture and furnishings
● Replacing or providing signage
● Changing fittings like door handles and taps that are difficult for a disabled person to use with ones that are better suited to your needs
● Adapting doorbells and entry systems.
Your landlord is not obliged to make changes to any physical features of the property, including the ways that it has been designed or constructed.
If you need a specific change to be made, your landlord can apply for a grant to enable them to get this work done for you.
K Elizabeth xoxox
*Collaborative Post
