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The national body for home improvement agencies (HIAs) in England, Foundations, has announced that its new AdaptMyHome online self-assessment portal is now live and ready to support the needs of local authorities, council staff, and clients looking for more support at home.

AdaptMyHome is a self-assessment portal that looks to streamline the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) application process and address the lengthy council waiting times for clients who are looking for help to live comfortably in their own homes. It is intended to give clients a greater understanding of the home adaptation options they have.

Clients are asked a series of questions about how they manage to get around their home and garden. For instance, clients are asked about their front door width, whether there are steps to get into their garden, and if they can walk independently. They are also asked questions about how they use their stairs and bathroom. For example, clients are asked whether they rely on assistive technologies to bathe, if they own a shower toilet, and whether their home is one level.

At the end, the client’s home will be given a score to show how suitable it is for them. Foundations suggests any home improvements that can be made as well as how to prevent further issues, while managing expectations of the type of support they may be eligible for. They can also check if they are eligible to apply for a DFG from their local council to help towards the work.

AdaptMyHome further offers clients a way to engage with council services online rather than via a traditional phone call.

The DFG can help pay for a broad range of crucial home adaptations, such as ramps, handrails, homelifts, accessible controls, ceiling track hoists, and more. Outside of going through councils to get funding for home adaptations, clients can use private occupational therapy services to get their homes adapted using their own money.

Foundations has worked with a variety of local authorities and stakeholders to gain feedback about the portal.

Last year, Foundations highlighted that one of the key drivers for this project was to reduce waiting lists for adaptation assessments, allowing occupational therapists (OTs) time to focus on other more complex areas such as larger adaptations.

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