The OT’s Perspective: Can your client use the DFG for a home lift?



If you’re not familiar with the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), then here’s what you need to know:
A DFG is there to pay for essential housing adaptations, such as a home lift, to help you stay in your home and live an independent life.
This article helps you consider if a home lift is right for your client, applying for a DFG and how you can best help your client in this scenario.
What is a home lift?
You might know it as a through-floor lift or domestic lift.
It’s basically a lift installed into your home, that helps you get from one floor to another, and there are various models available, depending on whether you need to access multiple floors, have limited space or use a wheelchair.
Over my years as an OT, I’ve helped plenty of clients to get home lifts installed in their home, many through the DFG.
A recent case springs to mind – in February I recommended a Stiltz Trio+ lift for one of my clients.  He was using walking aids and a wheelchair, which made the Trio+ a perfect choice, as it can fit a standard-sized wheelchair in it.
When is a home lift the right solution?

If your client is finding using stairs difficult and they are at risk of injury caused by a slip, trip or falls.

If your client needs the freedom to move around their property with ease and wants to remain at home rather than being confined to the ground floor or relocating to a flat or bungalow. As most of us know, moving can be hugely expensive, which means that in many cases a home lift is more economically prudent.

If your client doesn’t have the finance or inclination to build a bedroom and/or wet room on the ground floor of their existing property.

If your client is a wheelchair user for whom transferring independently is difficult or simply not possible. I saw a sad story in a recent THIIS magazine article detailing how a vulnerable service user fell down the stairs and died transferring at the top of the stairs onto an older style stairlift.

If your client needs to move heavy items between floors. This is helpful for clients living on their own, who can’t carry washing (and other items) up and down the stairs on their laps while using a stairlift.

Stairlift or home lift?
I’ve written about this in more detail in a THIIS magazine article back in April 2018 – you’ll be able to find it on the THIIS magazine website – but in general, home lifts are a safe, reliable, future-proofed alternative to stairlifts and are becoming increasingly popular.
Consider the following points before you select a home lift or stairlift:

With a stairlift, clients need to feel confident about transferring independently to a stairlift seat, especially at the top of the stairs.  Carer support can be offered with an adequate risk assessment, but we must consider reducing risk as far as is reasonably practicable, so if a home lift...

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