New grant support to help disabled residents live independently

Up to £10,000 will be available to make homes more “dementia-friendly”, while residents who need adaptations to help them stay out of hospital or care homes could receive a grant of up to £12,000 through Cannock Chase Council’s Discretionary Housing Assistance Policy.

Changes to the policy were approved by the council’s cabinet on May 21, following a review of the scheme brought in three years ago.

The new support schemes are in addition to the mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) scheme local authorities are legally required by Government to offer.

The maximum DFG payment available through a single application is £30,000 and this can be used for work including improving access to a home, bedroom, bathroom or toilet, making a property safe or improving a heating system.

The discretionary payments will offer assistance for residents in private sector homes and cover areas including carer support, occupational therapy assessment and assistive technologies, such as life lines, fall detectors and key safes.

Discretionary grants and assistance will be subject to the available budget however, only up to the total DFG funding allocated to the council. A cabinet report said there would be no direct financial impact on the council’s other financial resources.

The revised policy said that Cannock Chase Council area is ranked as the 126th most deprived local authority district in England – out of 317 in total. It is also the 13th most deprived area in the region.

Life expectancy in the most deprived areas of the district and health-related quality of life for older people across Cannock Chase are both lower than the national average for both men and women according to 2017 figures.

And the estimated dementia diagnosis rate for over 65s in the district in 2019 is above the national average.

The policy document stated: “Home adaptations can be effectively used to reduce health and social care costs, decrease the risk of injuries in the home, e.g. from falls, enable faster hospital discharge, delay the point at which residential care is required and support individuals who experience functional and cognitive difficulties or have long-term chronic conditions, e.g. dementia.

“The purpose of this policy is to enable the council to provide more flexibility and discretion in the allocation and delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grants and housing assistance, thereby providing eligible residents of the district greater access to home adaptations, in order to support people living safely, independently, confidently and with dignity in their own homes for as long as possible.

“Discretionary Hospital Prevention and Discharge Assistance is available for cases where the disabled person is in urgent need of adaptation work to assist them to live independently in their own home, to prevent them from becoming an in-patient in a hospital, care home or nursing home or to assist with their discharge from hospital at the earliest opportunity.

“The maximum grant is £12,000 and will include adaptations such as stair lifts, vertical “through floor” lifts, external step lifts and ramps, door widening, small scale bathroom, bedroom or kitchen adaptations (or) ceiling track hoists.

“Where the disabled person is diagnosed with dementia, or other cognitive impairment or a recognised long term behavioural condition including but not limited to such conditions as Autism, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) etc., works to make homes friendly and to help the person live safely, manage their surroundings and retain their independence for longer will be eligible for Discretionary Dementia Friendly Assistance funding – grant maximum £10,000.

“The types of works available may include provision of a safe space, colour and contrast decorating, carbon monoxide/ cold/heat alarms, lighting, safety flooring (and) digital assistive technology. This list is not exhaustive and each case will be considered with the assistance and advice from the council’s external occupational therapist.”