Adapted housing

If you or someone in your household has a medical condition or disability which impacts on mobility, there are a range of options that could make your life at home easier and safer.

Find out more information about Disabled Facilities Grants.

Adapting your current home

It may be that some advice or practical suggestions are all you need to help to manage in your current home. In other cases you may have to consider equipment or adaptations.

If you need advice and assistance, your first step is to contact an occupational therapist (OT) on OT direct on 0300 555 1386 or email adult.services@hants.gov.uk. They can give you specialist advice about the difficulties you are having and discuss if there is suitable equipment to help you. There are some pieces of equipment they may be able to supply for you or your family to fit yourselves. They may visit you in your home, assess your needs and look at options to assist you, which may include an adaptation to your home

Adaptations may include:

• improving wheelchair access into and movement around your home
  
• disabled access to shower
  
• a stairlift
  
• hoists
  
• kitchen adaptations
  
• grab rails

Small changes, such as grab rails, can be done quickly. If you need something like a stairlift or a walk in shower, the waiting time could be much longer. Equipment will always be considered before adaptations to the home, and minor adaptations before major ones.

If you are a housing association tenant and the OT recommends a permanent adaptation to your home, details of the work will be passed to your landlord.

If you live in owner-occupied or private rented housing and the OT recommends a permanent adaptation to your home, you may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant from the council to help you meet the costs of the work. They will help you to apply for this grant.

If you live in a privately rented house, you will need to get your landlord's agreement before starting any works, explain that it may be possible to get a grant to cover the cost. If your landlord does not agree you will not be able to get the adaptations done. Your landlord may even be able to evict you if you make alterations to the property without permission.

If it is not possible to adapt your home so that it is suitable for your needs, or to provide you with the care you require at home, you could consider:

• moving to a specially adapted property
  
• moving to sheltered housing for older people. You can live independently, and have access to a 24 hour intercom and pull-cord system to provide support in an emergency. More details can be found on the Sheltered Housing webpage
  
• move to Extra Care accommodation. You require a care need, assessed and confirmed by Hampshire County Council. More details can be found on the Extra Care webpage
• moving to a residential or nursing care home – depending on your age and disability
  

Visit Hampshire County Council's website for more information on equipment and adaptations

Finding an adapted property

If your current home is unsuitable for your needs and cannot be adapted, you may be eligible to bid for adapted or ground floor accommodation owned by a housing association.

You need to complete a housing register application to be eligible to search and bid for a property online.

How to join the Housing needs register

You should give as much detail as possible regarding your needs. An OT Report outlining the adaptions and type of accommodation you require will help your application.

Where properties have been designed or adapted to meet the needs of those with disabilities, and/or are accessible to wheelchair users, are advertised, applicants or a member of their household requiring this accommodation will be given priority.

You can identify adapted properties on the website and in the newsletter by looking out for the symbol shown here on the left.

Applicants who do not need adaptations but do need accommodation that is on one level can also be given priority for accommodation that suits their need. Check the eligibility and priority details on each advert to see whether priority is given to those who need adaptations and/or ground floor accommodation. Most adapted property adverts give details of the specific adaptations in the text.

Further information on searching and bidding for housing association properties online

Depending on your age and needs, you may be eligible to apply for sheltered housing or apply for extra care housing.

Please be aware that there is a high demand for adapted, ground floor and sheltered accommodation and it will take time to bid successfully for a suitable property.