Labour delivers £300,000 extra for disabled and older people to make their homes safe and assessible.

In November 2016 Labour set out its aspiration to find £300,000 of extra money to fund Aids and Adaptations for Council owned properties.

Labour had already invested a record £665,000 in 2016/17. But we recognised that more needed to be invested in order to help disabled and older residents avoid falls and be able to stay independent. We wanted to clear a backlog of outstanding work.

On Tuesday 3 January 2017 the Labour Cabinet will agree the extra funding (See pages 142 Para 2.3 c of the meeting agenda and the summary table in Annex B on page 149.)

Cllr Nigel Long, Cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Housing said, “Helping disabled and older people stay safe and independent in their own homes is a top priority. It also keeps people out of hospital. It is great Value for Money.

Aids and adaptations come in many forms ranging from flat floor shower rooms, to handrails, from ramps at the front door or inside the property to a range of safety measures within the home. Already this year we have installed:

96 flat floor showers.
26 stair lifts.
14 ramps.

Cllr Long added, “With the extra funds we will deliver over 100 flat floor showers and over 40 stair lifts as well as around 20 ramps. These will really help disabled and older people stay independent, avoid falls and stay out of hospital.“

Cllr Nigel Long

Cllr Long concluded,“I am delighted that we are able to increase our spending on Aids and Adaptations this year to £965,000. It is a great investment and I am proud of our support for disabled and older residents.”