Equipment and mobility

If you are struggling with:

• moving on and off furniture
• managing your bathroom routine
• accessing your property.

You might benefit from looking for aids and equipment that can help online.

NRS Healthcare Website
Telephone: 03448 936 960

East Berkshire Specialist Wheelchair Service: 0118 904 3222

Red Cross: 03004 561 914

Wheelfreedom: 0800 025 8005

Our Falls Prevention Team can provide advice to help reduce or manage your risk of falls. To speak to a Keep Safe Stay Well team member, call 03331 210 205.

You may wish to explore ways to raise an alarm if you do experience falls regularly. A falls pendent is worn around the neck or wrist and has a button which can be pushed in an emergency. When pressed this alerts the monitoring centre who will inform your next of kin or emergency service to initiate any help required.

You can discuss your situation and purchase your preferred equipment from the providers below.

• Forestcare: 01344 786 599
• Careline365: 0808 304 4510
• Ageco: 0800 085 8032

Safe and well visit by RoyA Safe and Well Visit is a free service that the Fire Service provide to eligible residents. Safe and Well visits are tailored to individual needs, relating to health and wellbeing, as well as fire risk reduction. A Safe and Well visit will take place in the home and can be arranged at a convenient time.

Visit the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service website for more details.

There is a wide range of devices and systems that can help you maintain or build your independence, freedom and confidence. Choose from a range of proactive, preventative solutions which can help with:

• Monitoring and managing long term health conditions
• Reducing anxiety and stress
• Managing daily living tasks in a personalised way
• Assistance to live safely in your home
• Understanding your routine and where you may need support.

There are many options of assistive technology for you to select from which includes non-invasive, fixed or wearable sensors to support you and your carers to monitor and respond to your needs. 

The TEC Services Association have developed a series of 10 short videos to show the possibilities of technology solutions to enhance people's lives. You can watch the videos on the TSA's YouTube channel.

If you would like to find out more about maintaining your independence or developing new skills with the support of technology - email the Front Door Social Work Team.

Tips on buying equipment

Whether you're buying equipment or having it provided for you, it's always worth trying out the equipment for yourself first if possible.

When installing equipment, you should also consider the following:

• Is your condition likely to deteriorate? If so, how much use will you get out of the equipment?
• Who will be operating the equipment - you, a carer, or both?
• Does the equipment come with a guarantee and technical support?

Our Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants can provide guidance and equipment to maintain independence in activities of daily living and to prevent falls, as well as assessment and advice for major or minor adaptations within the home.

If you have a disability, are elderly or have a long term illness which causes you to have difficulties coping with daily living tasks, our Occupational Therapists can offer advice and support to make it easier for you to live independently. They also offer years of experience and thorough knowledge of techniques, theories and technologies to make sure your needs are met in an affordable, timely way.

Practical support, known as occupational therapy, enables you to carry out essential activities of daily living, with the aim of maintaining or improving independence.

What kind of help is there?

• We can advise on suitable equipment for you or adaptations for your home that will meet your needs.
• We may be able to supply some equipment on loan; for example, a raised toilet seat or bathing equipment.
• We can recommend minor adaptations to your home, like stair rails or outside hand rails.
• If we feel that major adaptations are needed, such as a stairlift or a ramp for wheelchair access, we can discuss how these can be funded.
• We aim to reduce anxiety and help people raise their confidence about getting around or managing their disability.
• Provide information on ways of obtaining appropriate support and helping people to connect to other relevant agencies.
• Assist carers to continue to maintain their caring responsibilities.

We want to help you live independently in your present home. But if we, or you, feel that you would be better off moving to different accommodation, we will discuss all the options with you.

Everyone's needs are different so the services offered to each individual will be different and based on assessed need with the national eligibility criteria.

Together we will try to agree on the best way to provide the help that you need. If you feel you would benefit from Occupational Therapy support, you can ask for a care and support needs assessment by completing our online contact form or call 01628 683744 or email adultsocialcarefrontdoor@rbwm.gov.uk.

Find out more about equipment and grants available on the Adults, Family and Local Offer Directory.

Once equipment has been prescribed to you

If you have been prescribed equipment that you no longer need or which needs to be repaired or serviced please contact NRS Healthcare on 0844 8936960 to arrange a collection.

Practical advice on daily living equipment

If you are struggling with:

• moving on and off furniture
• managing your bathroom routine
• accessing your property

You might benefit from looking for aids and equipment that can help online. Visit: www.safeandwell.co.uk/berkshire.

Living made easy is a website that provides practical advice on daily living equipment. It is supported by the Disabled Living Foundation (DLF), a national charity that is the leading source of impartial advice, information and training on independent living for disabled adults and children, older people, carers and care professionals.