Equipment
“Community Equipment provides a gateway to independence for millions of people”.
Quote from the Department of Health Care Network website.
Getting the right equipment to help you to stay independent can make all the difference to your quality of life.
There are many items of equipment and gadgets available and most people do not know about them or where to get them.
Having a Going For Independence home assessment can give you the information you need and will help guard against making expensive mistakes when buying equipment such as specialist chairs, bath lifts and stair lifts.
GFI will give you information on a wide range of equipment including jar openers, tap turners, bath lifts and walking aids, wheelchairs, hoists, beds and chairs, gadgets and alarm systems.
Joint Visits
Our Assessors can also undertake a joint visit with the representative of an equipment company for large and expensive items such as stair lifts and riser/recliner chairs. This can help you to get the right item of equipment to meet your needs and at the right price.
Going For Independence Assessors will always keep costs in mind when information on equipment is being given and make sure people know about the options available.
Equipment Purchase and installation
If you need help to get the equipment you need and to have it installed, Going For Independence can provide this service.Ring our free Helpline on 0800 612 8909 or Contact us via email to make an appointment.
Equipment Prescription collection service
For people who are eligible to receive equipment from the local authority, the government are in the process of changing how they will get the items of equipment prescribed for them following an assessment of need carried out by a health or social care professional.
A "prescription " for equipment is given to the person and they then take it to a recommended retail centre to exhange it for the equipment item (or items).
Some people will be able to go themselves to an equipment retail centre to collect their equipment and some people will need to ask a family member or friend to help them - especially if there are a number of items or they are too large to carry easily.
For those people who do not have a family member - or friend or neighbour -to do this for them, Going For Independence can provide this service.
Call GFI on 01287 204204 to find out more.
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology (AT) is any product or service designed to enable independence for disabled and older people.
This definition was agreed at a King's Fund consultation meeting in March 2001 to find a term to replace ‘disability equipment’.
This umbrella term is widely used by professionals, academics and researchers in the UK because it more accurately reflects the broad range of equipment and services that assist older and disabled people of all ages to maximise their independence. It acknowledges the cross over between inclusively designed, adapted and mainstream products and the technology specifically made available to assist disabled and older people.
However, as assistive technology is a term not yet well-known by the general public we have instead used "equipment" in this context on this website.
Page updated April 2013