CedarstepAsk for an assessment before making a shopping list. An occupational therapist (OT) considers the activities you want to do and the surroundings in which you do them.
Who to contact
In England, ask your council's adult social care service about a home assessment for equipment or adaptations. The NHS explains that this assessment is free. The service may use an OT or another trained assessor. Elsewhere in the UK, contact your council or, in Northern Ireland, your health and social care trust to find the local route.
If you are in hospital, ask the ward team how your equipment and support needs will be considered before discharge.
Make notes in your own words
Write down a few examples rather than just saying that the bathroom is difficult:
- Which movement or part of the task is awkward?
- Does it vary during the day?
- What help do you currently need?
- What would you most like to manage differently?
These are prompts for a conversation, not a test. Include the small difficulties you have worked around for a long time.
During and after the visit
Ask someone you trust to join you if you would find that useful. Ask the assessor to explain any unfamiliar terms and write down the agreed next steps, who will arrange them and who to contact with questions.
Use the home adaptation planner to collect topics beforehand. Its list is not a prescription or an assessment.