Adaptations - Getting the help you need
If you have a disability or chronic medical condition, your quality of life can be greatly enhanced with the right equipment, adaptations or expert advice from Occupational Therapists.
The Occupational Therapy service is available to people of all ages, including children.
If we think you need help an Occupational Therapist will visit you in your home to carry out an assessment and advise you of practical solutions available to you to help you around your home. We will always try to meet your needs in the most reasonable and practical way.
Getting in touch (making a referral)
If you think you need help from us, you can phone or visit your local social work office, or your local Social Housing Provider for example Glasgow Housing Association, to make a referral. If you prefer, you can ask someone to contact us on your behalf.
You will be asked about the problems you are facing and how you are coping at the moment. It is important you give us as much information as you can. We will use this information to decide if we can help you or if we should refer you to other agencies to get the right support for you.
Working out who needs help most urgently
We use the information you give us to work out whether we can help you and if so, how quickly we should see you. We write to you within five working days of your request for help and the letter explains whether we can see you right away or if you are on a waiting list.
If your circumstances change and you can’t manage, please let us know and we’ll look again at the help you need and how quickly we can help you.
We prioritise services for people who:
- face an immediate risk of injury
- are returning home from hospital
- are at risk of being admitted to care if service not provided
- are unable to carry out essential daily activities with or without a carer
Service Standards
Assessments - our standards aim for assessments to be completed within 25 working days or sooner for more urgent requests that may be allocated.
What is an assessment?
One of our Occupational Therapists will talk to you about what you find difficult. You may be asked to demonstrate the nature of some of your problems so that we can fully appreciate them, like getting up stairs, or in and out of the bath.
Every assessment is individual but some of the things we’ll want to talk about are:
- How do you get about? Do you use a wheelchair, walking stick/frame or crutches?
- Does anyone help you with moving around?
- How much strength do you have and how firm is your grip?
- Can you use both sides of your body?
- Can you stand for long periods?
- Do you have problems seeing, hearing or talking to people?
The results of this assessment will help us identify your needs and take your medical condition into consideration. You will be involved as much as possible in this process and will be advised in writing if there is likely to be any delay or if your needs do not achieve the priority required for provision.
Preparing for the assessment
Think about all things you have problems with. You might want to write them down before we visit you. Sometimes people find things easier on some days than others. Maybe a certain time of day, such as first thing in the morning, is particularly bad; make sure you tell us about this.
You may like to have someone, a relative or neighbour, with you when we visit. If there is someone who provides care for you at home (even if they dont live with you, it is important to find out about the help they are able to give you). We would always look at the needs of any carer as part of your assessment unless we are asked not to.
What happens next?
If we are able to meet your needs and recommend that you need minor adaptations then we will arrange delivery and installation.
If we are considering a major adaptation we will inform you in writing of our decision and what happens next. All adaptations provided by Social Work Services and social housing providers are provided free of charge.
- Minor adaptations are non-structural and temporary and can easily be removed from the property, such as external handrails and removable ramps.
- Major adaptations involve permanent changes to the structure of a person’s home, such as widening doors for wheelchair access, installation of a through floor lift, kitchen adaptations and wet-floor bathrooms.
- Provision of major adaptations and structural changes are determined by the ownership of your home:
- If you rent your home from a housing provider, details of the work you require will be passed to them and you will be advised in writing at least two weeks before the work is due to begin
- If you own your home or are in the process of buying it and require major adaptations, or rent your home from a private Landlord, help can be provided by Private Sector Housing, further information is available: Repairs & Improvement - Adaptations
The Scottish Government have produced a guide for disabled people in private housing in Scotland which can be viewed on:
Scottish government - help with adaptations
Social Work Services will supply any complementary equipment required.
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