Living independently
Around one in five adults in the UK is disabled, and more than 1 million of those
live alone. With the right support and facilities,
leading an independent life with a physical or learning disability
is now more achievable than ever.
Many disabled people wish to live in
their own home and support themselves and be independent,
there are many ways in which they can be helped to achieve
this and it is every disabled person’s right to do so.
Independent living means having the support you need to live the life you choose
– with the same control and decision-making as all citizens
If you are disabled then there are considerations
that have to be taken, such as:
- Do you receive the necessary support that may be available to help you to continue living independently
in your own home.
- Do you have the equipment that is necessary to help you live an independent
lifestyle.
- Are there ways that your home could be adapted to make your life easier
- Every disabled person has the legal right to have an assessment by their social services department.
There are many ways you can get help which you may be entitled to and following an assessment
an occupational therapist may be able to recommend ideas and equipment for adapting your home to suit your needs.
This may include:
- Widening doors and installing ramps
- Providing or improving access to
rooms and facilities, for example, by installing a stairlift or a downstairs bathroom
- Improving
or providing a heating system that suits your needs
- Adapting heating or lighting controls to
make them easier to use
- Improving access to and movement around the home to enable you to care
for another person who lives in the property, such as a child
There are several forms of financial help which you may be entitled to claiming and the disabled facilities
grant is just one of them.
This grant can help towards the cost of paying for adaptations and improvements to your
home which enables you to live a more independent lifestyle.
Help may also be available from home improvement agencies that are usually no profit organisations which
help disabled people to live independent lives.
You may also be entitled
to claim direct payments or a personal budget. It can provide payments to people who are seriously disabled but who want to
remain at home rather than live in residential care homes.
