Making Home Adaptations for Illness or Disability

Adaptations are changes made to your home to help you carry out daily activities more easily and safely. Adapting your home can make a significant difference if you are living with an illness or disability. These can range from simple modifications like installing grab rails to more substantial changes such as fitting stair lifts or ramps. This page provides information on how to get help and support with making these changes:

We will work with you to help you find different ways of carrying out everyday tasks such as preparing a meal or drink, getting dressed and personal care and getting in, out and around your home. This may include:

Providing specialist equipment to aid your daily living
Providing minor adaptations such as grab rails
Arranging major adaptations such as ramps or stair lifts
Working with your carer to offer them advice in the best way to support you
With your consent we can signpost you to relevant services who may be able to help

If you are a Nottingham City Housing Services tenant, adaptations are currently free because the Council, as a landlord, funds the work.

If you own your own home or are a private tenant, you may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant to assist you in paying for the adaptations.

A Disabled Facilities Grant is money given to eligible people to cover home adaptations. The amount depends on a “means test” to determine your share of the costs, if any. For many, the grant covers the full cost. We will assist you with the application and process it for you.

Please note that:

Adaptations for children are exempt from the means test
This grant is limited to a maximum of £30,000
We charge a fee to process your adaptations scheme. If you are eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant, this fee can be included in the grant.

To see what support you can get - See Finance Assessment (Means Test)

Residents who live in the Nottingham City area

Residents who have significant difficulties in their daily life and want to be more independent

Carer/s for a disabled person/s and who are experiencing difficulties

A member of the Occupational Therapy team will visit you at home to carry out a needs assessment to look at how you manage with everyday activities. Together with you - and your carer, if appropriate - we will work out what is important to you. The assessment usually takes about an hour. If English is not your first language, we can arrange for an interpreter to be there.

After the assessment, we will discuss with you the options available and agree what action is to be taken. We will give you a written summary of what is agreed. If your needs change or you move house, please get in touch and let us know as soon as possible.

Getting a Needs Assessment

If you are not sure if you are eligible for help, please do contact us to discuss what you need.

We can provide a range of solutions, from small adjustments to major adaptations, depending on your specific requirements.

Providing a stairlift, rail or vertical lift to help you get upstairs
A grab handle or ramp near a doorway
An armchair or toilet seat raiser
A shower stool or bath lift
Replacing your bath with a shower area that has a level floor (Wet room)
Improving the layout of your kitchen/bathroom if you use a wheelchair
Automatic lights or lights that are easy to switch on
Care alarms or sensor mats to alert others
A home safety check or smoke alarm fitting
medication organiser
Alarms and Doorbells. Loud flashing doorbells, loop system (for people with visual and/or hearing impairments)
Memory clocks and devices that prompt to help with remembering the time, date, appointments and mealtimes

Smart technology

Technology like smartphones, smart energy meters and smart speakers ( for example Amazon Echo or Google Home) can help to make life easier.

Smartphone or voice-activated (high tech) systems to control areas in the home such as door opening, turning heating or lights on/off and opening/closing windows
Voice devices to help get information such as time, date, music, bus times, shopping list, and set timers and alarms.

You can find out how smart devices could help you from Independent Age

Visit: Technology to help you at home | Independent Age

Buy or rent your equipment

You can buy specialised furniture and equipment that can make your home life easier from Medequip.

Visit: Medequip | Online Sales (medequip-uk.com)

How do I apply?

Contact Nottingham Health & Care Point

Call: 0115 8763330, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm
Visit: Adult Social Care Hub to complete an online referral

If still having difficulty you can get in touch with your GP, a Doctor or a nurse via a Hospital

Nottingham On Call

Nottingham on Call will help customers live independent lives. We will always be there to help if someone has a fall, feels unwell or hurts themselves and needs assistance.

Equipment - Nottingham On Call