Funds to Help People With Dementia or a Disability Live More Safely at Home

Ribble Valley Borough Council is offering up to £2,000 for a range of adaptations or specialist equipment to help people living with dementia or memory loss live more safely.

The adaptations will be undertaken by home improvement agency Homewise following an assessment and may include smart home kits, assisted technology, signage, big button telephones, dementia clocks, touch bedside lights, grabrails, bathroom adaptations and the use of colour to aid orientation.

Referrals can be made from a range of agencies, including Age Concern, GPs, the early intervention dementia service, Crossroads Care, occupational therapists, Lancashire Social Services, Carers Link and family members.

Grant recipients must live in Ribble Valley and be experiencing memory loss due to a diagnosed neurological disorder.

The council also offers a mix of means-tested disabled facilities grants (non-means-tested if the facilities are for children) of up to £55,000 and non-means-tested discretionary grants, called Ribble Valley Adaptations, of up to £10,000 for a range of measures such as accessible showers and stairlifts.

The adaptations must be recommended by an occupational therapist and the work overseen by the council’s surveying team.

Stuart Hirst, chairman of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s health and housing committee, said: “Enabling people with a disability or dementia to live safely in their own homes is a priority to us and can often be achieved with a range of adaptations.

“As well as our disabled facilities grants, which we have offered for many years, our new home safety dementia grant has already helped eight recipients living with memory loss to live in greater safety and comfort.”

Ribble Valley has an above average number of older residents – 20.3 per cent of the borough’s residents are aged over 65, compared to 16.3 per cent nationally.

For further information about home safety dementia grants, phone Homewise on 01254 232249, or for disabled facilities grants phone Lancashire Social Services on 0300 123 6720 and request an occupational therapy assessment.