Handyman scheme preventing accidents for older people around the home

The Local Government Association (LGA) is helping people to remain in their own home by offering free or low cost handy man schemes to vulnerable older adults.

Home improvement grants and initiatives to make people’s homes more energy efficient have also been running to make homes safer and reduce associated costs for older people continuing to live as independently as possible.

Schemes running in areas such as Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, York and South Norfolk are saving money by making low cost repairs to prevent accidents in the home and reduce to need for expensive hospital treatment and recovery.

Councillor Katie Hall, chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Any scheme which helps people to live more independently and safely in their own homes for longer can make a real difference to their lives. By providing these services, councils are helping residents and preventing accidents from happening around the home, as well as allowing the care system some respite.

“People can benefit from the peace of mind that a council-approved contractor will bring and can also trust their council to ensure the work is completed quickly, at a good price.

“For councils, such schemes can also provide an invaluable opportunity to check on residents’ welfare and provide support and assistance if required. They also save councils money from their already stretched adult services and health budgets by preventing or delaying the escalation of residents’ needs.”

A team of staff operate 12 vans as part of the Handy Van Network to provide help in the home to people in the Derbyshire area.

Projects like this make improvements which include fitting low energy light bulbs, rewiring plugs and fitting smoke detectors in older people’s homes that are not well enough to carry out the preventative task themselves.

Ms Hall continued: “Many older and vulnerable people find these handyperson services not only provide a lifeline, but help build relationships that they might never have made otherwise. Having a cheerful and positive person around the house that they can trust can sometimes make all the difference.”