How we can make our homes a better place to live with dementia

Many people living with the early stages of dementia are able to continue living independently at home and enjoying life in the same way as before the diagnosis.

There are endless benefits to living in a familiar environment with the right assistance and Karbon offers a selection of services to help adapt homes to make daily life easier for our customers and their carers.

Aids and adaptations

Our aids and adaptations team can guide customers through the process of requesting dementia adaptations for their home.

Here is just a few examples of aids and adaptations we are able to install for free

• Additional lighting - good lighting helps them see clearly and make sense of where they are
• Coloured grab rails and drop down rails  
• Coloured toilet seats - aids in contrasting colours are helpful as some people with dementia experience difficulties with their sight and perception and can misinterpret where they are in the house
• Step alterations and painting of nosings
• Additional banister rails
• Key safes
• Isolating switches
• Assistive technology - Electronic items that are designed to help people with cognitive or memory problems
• Over bath showers

In some homes we can make more major adaptations such as installing wet rooms, stairlifts and ramps.

Local Authorities Disabled Facilities Grant

Should a customer meet the necessary criteria we may grant permission for these major adaptations to be installed via the Local Authorities Disabled Facilities Grant.

A Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is available if a customer is on a limited income and their condition restricts their movement or makes it difficult or unsafe to move about their home. It pays for essential home adaptations and is mandatory and means tested. The maximum grant is £30,000 with average grants of £6,500.

The Aids and Adaptations Team will work closely with the Local Authority and Adult Social Care to find the best solutions for the customer.

A couple of things to remember….

• Everyone with dementia experiences the condition differently, and what may be useful for one person may not be appropriate for another.
• Equipment will not be the answer to every problem, and there may be times when changing the way a task is carried out works better for the person with dementia.
• As dementia progresses, the support that the person needs will also change. They may need to be reminded how certain equipment works and the equipment should be reviewed to ensure that they remain helpful.

The Alzheimer’s Society has a full breakdown of what equipment can improve the home for someone living with dementia, as well as handy tips on how to improve the layout to make life easier. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/staying-independent/what-equipment-improve-adapt-home-person-dementia

To find out more about our Aids and Adaptations service get in touch with the team, either by email, adaptations@karbonhomes.co.uk, or by calling 0808 164 0111 and ask to speak to the Aids and Adaptations team.