Access any age
Adaptations that make your bathroom and kitchen more accessible are going to increase as authorities recognize the necessity for people to live longer on their own homes, Stephen Flewitt, 1st Bathrooms and Kitchens.
A new report by Foundations UK examines how Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) are distributed and spend and outlines changing attitudes towards accessibility adaptations in the home. It is now widely recognised that the advantages of installing an accessible bathroom far outweigh the overall cost. Foundations UK is a national body which is responsible for overseeing organisation which deliver adaptations under the DFG scheme.
The report states “that accessibility of the home is finally being recognised as important for successful hospital discharge, to enable care to take place in the home, and to allow people to live independent lives”
Although the report examines the work carried out through DFG is acknowledges that most home adaptations are self funded. The report recommends that better advice and information should be provided to those who are paying for their own adaptations. Those paying for their own adaptations are likely to far outnumber those financed through DFG grants. At 1st Bathrooms we strongly believe that the elderly and infirm should enjoy their homes and that well designed adaptations should blend into the surroundings and should never be cumbersome or embarrassing.
We live in an agin population
The Office for National statistics state that their were 10 million disabled people in England in 2011, 1 in 10 adults experience mobility issues and approximately 1.25 million people with significant sight loss.
Currently over 40% of people aged over 65 are disabled, this number will rise as the population of over-65s is expected to reach 15.5 million by 2030 of which 39% will be 80 years of age or more. This clearly demonstrates that the need for adaptability and accessibility in the home will become even more crucial in order to maintain independent living.
Over the last 9 years 71% of DFG grants went to those aged over 60, this statistic demonstrates the clear need for more accessible nome for our increasing aged population. 6 out of 10 grants where four 5000 or less. The process for winning a grant should be made easier; “the small size of most grants indicates that the process of assessment, means testing and specification of work need not be complex, and could be simplified to speed up the process and provide adaptations much more quickly”.
1st Bathrooms are accessibility experts.
When mobility becomes an issue, homeowners often debate whether they should move to a home with a more accessible bathroom or change the bathroom make some changes to their own bathroom. Often it is much more cost effective to have your current bathroom redesigned.
Here at 1st Bathrooms we understand that you don’t want your bathroom looking clinical, so we can create a beautiful, modern yet functional bathroom that you can be proud of. Visit our mobility page for more information.
